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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



WAR LETTERS 

OF 

EDMOND GENET 




Edmond Charles Clinton Genet. 
From a photograph taken in Paris, September 4, 1916, 



WAR LETTERS 

OF 

EDMOND GENET 



THE FIRST AMERICAN AVIATOR KILLED FLYING THE 
STARS AND STRIPES 



EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION, BY 

GRACE ELLERY CHANNING 



PREFATORY NOTE BY 

JOHN JAY CHAPMAN 



NEW YORK 
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 

1918 



Copyright, 1918, by 
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 



PubUshed Jxine, 1918 



JUN 10 1918 




k, 



TO 

THOSE AMERICANS 
COMPANIONS OF EDMOND GENET 

OF THE FOREIGN LEGION OR THE ESCADRILLE 

AND TO THE THOUSANDS MORE 

WHO HEARING, EVEN BEFORE AMERICA, THE CALL ANSWERED FOR HER 

"paying WITH THEIR BODIES FOR THEIR SOULs' DESIRE " 

THIS BOOK 
IS DEDICATED 



PREFATORY NOTE 

BY JOHN JAY CHAPMAN 

The Genets are descended from Edme Charles 
Genet, who was secretary and interpreter to the 
Comte de Provence (subsequently Louis XVIII), 
and who died in 1780. Edme Charles, having 
lived long in England, became in France an author- 
ity on English affairs and was a publicist of some 
importance. His numerous works consist of his- 
torical essays, memoirs, and letters about the 
British constitution, British politics, and current 
events in England. Two of his children became dis- 
tinguished, the first, Edmond C, was the famous, 
not to say notorious. Citizen Genet, whom the 
Revolutionary government in France sent as am- 
bassador to the United States in 1792, and whose in- 
discretions led to his recall. He never returned to 
France, but settled at Albany, and subsequently 
married the daughter of Governor Clinton. 

The Citizen's sister, Henriette (Mme. Campan), 
was one of the most remarkable women of her day. 
Inasmuch as her father was an intimate of the 
King's brother, she was, as it were, born at court, 
and being an infant prodigy she received her edu- 
cation under the charge of distinguished poets, 
musicians, and savants. At the age of fourteen she 



viii PREFATORY NOTE 

became governess to the children of Marie Antoi- 
nette, whose dearest friend she remained for twenty 
years. When the King and Queen were thrown into 
jail she begged to be allowed to accompany them, 
but this was denied her. It was to her hands that 
Louis XVI confided the most secret documents, 
family trinkets, and locks of the royal hair at the 
time of his confinement in the prison of Feuillants, 
in 1792. Among these mementos was a brooch 
sent by Marie Antoinette to Citizen Genet, and 
which is to-day worn by the mother of the aviator. 
Madam Campan after the fall of the monarchy sup- 
ported herself by founding a school for young girls, 
which became famous immediately and was after- 
ward turned into a national academy by Napoleon. 
Hortense Beauharnais, stepdaughter of Napoleon, 
was one of Madame Campan's pupils. On the fall 
of the First Empire the Bourbons persecuted Mme. 
Campan for having accepted the protection of Na- 
poleon and treated her with most astounding and 
cruel ingratitude, considering the devotion she had 
shown to their family in former years. She died in 
disgrace and poverty in 1822 at the age of seventy, 
and left memoirs of the old court which are among 
the best that exist. 

The aviator, Edmond C. Genet, is a great-great- 
grandson of the Citizen. 

During the summer of 1915 I met young Genet 
in Paris. He was at that time a companion of my 
boy Victor in the Foreign Legion. Genet was a 
shy, neatly made, small, blond youth, and only a 



PREFATORY NOTE ix 

wizard could have divined the burning ambition 
that lay concealed beneath his quiet demeanor. 
The fact was that the Americans in the Foreign 
Legion represented the idealism of the youth of 
America. They were a flight of birds from all 
over the country. Mere romanticism and the de- 
sire for adventure would not have brought them to- 
gether; and the more we find out about these boys 
the more we see that in each of them there was a 
soul's history that led up to this especial consumma- 
tion. They are national characters — symbols of 
America. In life and in death they express the rela- 
tion of America to the war. 

I see them hasting toward the light 
Where war's dim watchfires glow; 

The stars that burn in Europe's night 
Conduct them to the foe. 

As when a flower feels the sun 

And opens to the sky, 
Knowing their dream has just begun 

They hasten forth to die. 

All that philosophy might guess 

These children of the light 
In one bright act of death compress. 

Then vanish from our sight. 

Like meteors on a midnight sky 
They break — so clear, so brief — ■ 

Their glory lingers on the eye 
And leaves no room for grief. 



PREFATORY NOTE 

And when to joy old sorrows turn, 
To spring war's winter long, 

Their blood in every heart will burn, 
Their life in every song. 



INTRODUCTION 

Edmond Charles Clinton Genet was born in 
Ossining, New York, on the 9th of November,- 
1896. He was the traditional youngest son of the 
fairy-tale, predestined to achievement — so much 
the youngest of three brothers that for all purposes 
of play and occupation he grew up an only child, 
finding his pleasures and interests for himself. 
No doubt this fact contributed to his determining 
trait, independence of thought and action. 

He was educated in private and public schools 
and at Mount Pleasant Academy, for which insti- 
tution he had all the love of a student for his alma 
mater. 

Although he was destined to end his days in an- 
other element, the earliest attraction of the boy's 
heart seems to have been for the sea: everything 
pertaining to it fascinated him. When the other 
boys had miHtary suits, Edmond's must be a naval 
uniform; a little photograph of the three brothers 
shows Edmond as a cherub thus distinguished. 
But at the mature age of nine he definitely dedi- 
cated himself, and in the manner of doing so as def- 
initely proclaimed what was to be the key-note of 
his character and conduct all through the life, — 
the ability to think out for himself a course of ac- 
tion, act upon it, and present his reasons (if at all) 



xu INTRODUCTION 

afterward. It must be said that his reasons were 
usually excellent ones. 

At nine, then, he wrote to the authorities in 
Washington for an outline of studies necessary for 
a career in the navy. The arrival of the official 
envelope with the desired information first apprised 
his family that their "Third" had begun making 
history for himself. From the curriculum laid 
down in that letter Edmond thereafter firmly de- 
clined to depart, to the considerable inconvenience 
and dismay of his successive instructors. 

At the age of ten there befell one of those small 
prophetic miracles with which the story of genius 
or heroism is always more or less filled. He in- 
vented an aeroplane which was exhibited and later 
formed a part of the memorial exhibition of the 
young aviator. 

When he was but sixteen the father died, after 
a long illness, during which the two elder sons, re- 
nouncing Princeton, went to work in an automobile 
industry. But they reckoned ill who left the 
"Third" out of anything real that was going for- 
ward. Edmond, as usual, took counsel of himself, 
walked a long way to the model "Chilmark Dairy," 
and applied to its owner, V. Everit Macy, for work 
before and after school. Thereafter he worked 
daily from six to eight, going home to change his 
clothes for school, and changing again after school 
to work again from six to eight, Sundays and all. 
It was Mr. Macy's interest in the conscientious 
boy which later secured the necessary congressional 



INTRODUCTION xiii 

influence to make him appointee for the Annapohs 
examinations. 

While the outcome of these was still in doubt 
and Edmond in corresponding agony of spirit, he 
presented himself at the Navy Yard for the re- 
quired physical examination. In the course of the 
visit it was suggested to him that if he did not win 
the appointment he might still enlist in the navy 
with a prospect of advancement. The appoint- 
ment going to another, this was what he ultimately 
did, informing the family of the accomplished fact, 
according to custom. 

From this point the letters carry the record 
through the brief four years which were all the time 
granted for earth, but which abundantly sufficed 
for immortahty. 

Rarely is the cycle of a life so swiftly, so surely, 
and so gloriously fulfilled — or so satisfyingly fore- 
shadowed. The egg does not more completely con- 
tain the chicken than every trait and quality of the 
young soldier-aviator of France was contained and 
manifest in the little boy at Ossining. The notes 
struck in the first letters of the series by the sixteen- 
year-old lad make up the full, harmonious chord of 
the last. 

Everything about him, indeed, seems to have been 
from everlasting to everlasting. From babyhood 
he showed the feeling for music which pervaded his 
life. Standing on tiptoe he would reach out "real 
tunes" for himself with effective small fingers, or 
desert his playfellows to go off by himself and paint 



xiv INTRODUCTION 

Indians, among other things, such as years later he 
was to depict again on the walls of the Lafayette 
Escadrille headquarters, or to carry with him as the 
insignia of his squadrilla, into the air. The whole 
character seems to have been there ready-made 
from the first, requiring nothing but growth and 
ripening, processes which in the maturing fields of 
war went on with a rapidity so precocious that 
watching it in these letters is like watching the 
intensified unfolding of a flower on a moving-pic- 
ture screen. One sees him, in the last months, 
taking possession of himself as of the air. 

A prescience of fame is probably very common to 
natures destined for it. The thought of it was 
never far from Edmond. Even through the boyish 
despondency of the first letters breathes the in- 
timation, "Even if I have failed twice and am the 
black sheep of the family, perhaps some day in the 
distant future I will turn out to be a white one 
and be something worth while." 

Writing from France, he asks to have an early 
press-letter kept for him. "Some day when I get 
renowned enough for my letters to be published, 
I want the first ones to look back to. I've made 
quite a start toward fame already, haven't I?" he 
jestingly says. And he attached serious value to 
his diary — "one of my most important assets" — 
a diary of which he is able to amazingly record that 
in five years he has not once failed to write in it. 
"If I am not making history, at least I am writing 
it." He was doing both. 



INTRODUCTION xv 

From the trenches he wrote reams, in a fine, 
microscopic hand of extreme clearness — to the 
"dear little Mother, " to the "two best brothers any- 
fellow ever had," to a score of friends. Some of 
these letters falling into the hands of Mr. Walter 
B. Mahony, Mrs. Genet's legal adviser, suggested 
to him that a book should be made, and the genius 
of chance led simultaneously to his office an old 
college chum and friend, Emery Pottle, himself 
back from a year's service at Pont-a-Mousson, Ver- 
dun, and Bar-le-Duc, with a corps which had won 
the fourragere, and whose members, Lovell, Willis, 
Marr, and others later became Genet's companions 
of the Escadrille. Unaware of this connection, 
Mr. Pottle promptly volunteered to make the little 
book, which was barely under way when he re- 
turned, as Lieutenant Pottle, to the front, leaving 
the uncompleted task to its next heir— the present 
editor, who had all unconsciously been qualifying 
for it by a visit to the Escadrille headquarters at 
Ham. Its members were still mourning the loss 
of MacConnell and Genet only a few weeks before. 
Edmond's sketches, the piano — all were still as he 
wrote of them, and the famous " Whiskey," camou- 
flaged for the occasion as "William," was gravely 
and rather insistently pressed on our attention. 
Within a week of that visit the charming French 
officer, de Laage, was killed by accident; within a 
month Willis was a prisoner in the German lines 
and two more of the little group had been disabled 
— one, as I think, being Norman Hall. 



xvi INTRODUCTION 

Thus by a coincidence which would have de- 
lighted Genet himself, I was to come straight from 
his own headquarters to his own book, and from 
the eager inquiries of his companions for another 
old comrade, to receive from that comrade's hands 
the unfinished record of the youngest of their 
number. 

One does not refuse gifts so clearly marked 
"from Destiny." 

Genet seems to have had the faculty of living 
two lives simultaneously, with a cuttlefish tenacity 
for holding on to all things at once. Tenacious he 
was in everything — of purposes, of friendships, of 
the family bond and interests, of the least little ob- 
servances: above all was the tenacity of tenderness 
which kept him in the shell-swept trenches of 
Champagne mindful of the smallest things of home. 
The Front could not obliterate Ossining, nor the 
bursting hell about him make him forget to write 
his notes of courtesy; he is mortified when, in the 
midst of battle his correspondence gets ahead of 
him. All the early traits abide and strengthen; 
the little, conscientious care for money, the great 
care for his friends, and especially for his family. 
From earning a citation in the awful slaughter of 
Champagne he turns to write bubbling letters of 
fun to a girl chum, or gentle admonitions to his 
mother. "Have you thought to write to so and 
so.?" "Have you perhaps run in to make a Httle 

call on ?" It is the same careful courtesy 

which later illustrates itself in the little notes it was 



INTRODUCTION xvii 

his habit to leave for his hostess in Paris, when on 
any occasion he left the house before the family 
was up, mornings, to say where he had gone and 
when he would return. He was carefully kind as 
well, finding time in the midst of warfare to be pre- 
cise about the denominatiAial needs of a comrade's 
stamp collection. There are no unconsidered trifles 
in his world: the number of things he kept in hand 
and mind fill one with envy for the vitality of youth. 

Between the ages of sixteen and twenty this pre- 
destined adventurer contrived to be present in 
three wars : he was at Vera Cruz (where he was first- 
to answer the call for volunteers for a dangerous 
landing-party); at Hayti; in the Foreign Legion 
when that glorious force was all but annihilated; 
and finally culminated his career fitly in the famous 
Lafayette Escadrille. His sketch of the battle of 
Champagne tells what an eye and brain he brought 
to all this and justifies high hopes of that Diary, 
still held in France. 

"Smiler" was the name he went by in the Es- 
cadrille, yet the boy had his troubles: there was 
even a brief tragedy of the heart, barely hinted in the 
book, and more than a tinge of melancholy in his 
temperament. But on the whole it is impossible 
not to feel he had a very good time of it, something 
sunny in his own nature contributing. One may 
search the hundreds of letters left, for a rare word 
of complaint of hardships: if mentioned at all, it 
is as part of the picture. True, this is the spirit of 
armies, but significant in so young a soldier. 



xviii INTRODUCTION 

The sincerely religious strain may have come to 
him equally from his blended Quaker and Catholic 
ancestry — or from a devout mother. He never 
misses a chance of church and communion. On his 
first Sunday in Paris he writes back of a hymn he 
has just heard, "If I am taken in battle and you 
hear of it, will you have a little service and in it 
sing Hymn 621 .f^" Later he adds another. Both 
were sung at the memorial service held for him in 
Ossining — his loved home town. 

Between the first and second portion of these 
letters there exists a gap. That gap was filled by 
the most momentous act of his life. Edmond 
Genet deliberately deserted the United States navy, 
but he did so in order to enter a greater thing — 
the war. He took this decision, which was to de- 
termine his entire future life and, as he foresaw, in 
all probability his death, with his accustomed in- 
dependence, and acted with his accustomed thor- 
oughness, consulting nobody. At the end of a 
cheerful holiday — the last he was ever to spend 
with them — he walked out of the home, after the 
usual loving farewells, ostensibly to join his ship, 
reappearing some days later with the quiet an- 
nouncement that he had taken his passports for 
France and was about to enter the French army. 
Neither prayers nor tears could move him. "I 
have done nothing wrong — nothing to be ashamed 
of," was his quiet assertion, "though I had to tell 
one lie — about my age." 

The boy, not yet eighteen, had gone boldly to 



INTRODUCTION xix 

the French consul, giving his age as twenty-one 
and his errand — to inquire concerning a family 
estate. The demand created no astonishment 
coming from one of his French name. It was 
necessary, however, he was told, to go to Washing- 
ton, and to Washington he went. Something un- 
explained and romantic hangs about this entire 
incident — again as of predestined things. His ship 
was delayed: he was detained almost a whole 
month in New York, subject all that time to arrest 
as a deserter. He went to theatres, took no par- 
ticular pains to conceal himself. No inquiry of any 
kind was made for him until after he had actually 
reached France, and when it came it was accom- 
panied by an offer of full pardon if he would re- 
turn. He had no idea of returning. 

But though he had heard his call so clearly and 
answered it, apparently so lightly, not lightly, 
therefore, did the decision weigh upon him. The 
years of his service in France were haunted by one 
fixed desire which became little short of an obses- 
sion — to obtain, somehow, the removal, from an 
otherwise blameless record, of this one blot. The 
higher he climbed in the scale of honor, the keener 
became his determination, pursued with all that 
tenacity of which he was so capable. His letters 
to his mother, to his brothers, to a friendly chap- 
lain are filled with this insistence. It is a distress 
to him when his new friends praise him. "What 
would they think if they knew.^" A kind of be- 
nign fatality, however, watches over him: He him- 



XX INTRODUCTION 

self says: "All the good things come out, nothing 
of the bad." Finally he makes confession to one 
of the best of his friends. Major Parker, and has 
a lighter heart. "We are going to have clean 
decks some day," he writes cheerily to his mother. 
But the cloud constantly returned. Risking his 
life daily, already cited for bravery, about to be 
decorated, and with less and less illusion as to his 
chances of surviving the war, yet his main concern 
is for that unexpunged blot. How sensitive of 
honor he was is shown in many a little outburst: 
"Every time an article comes out, like Rockwell's, 
it cuts me like a knife!" Most moving of all is 
the final cry: 

"If anything should happen to me over here, it 
would be so much easier to meet it if I knew I was 
O. K. with my own loved country. . . . The only 
thing which ever impressed me about the Bur- 
ial Service is the question — 'O Death, where is 
thy sting.?' — I know now that it would hold its 
sting for me if I met it with that blot upon my 
record." 

History may be left to deal with that still un- 
expunged blot and decide where it really belongs. 
Meanwhile, anticipating that verdict, to many of 
us it will seem to plead aloud and eloquently — but 
not for the boy: 

"Forgiven be the State he loved 

The one brief wrong, the single blot; 
Forgotten be the stain removed. 
Her righted record shows it not." 



INTRODUCTION xxi 

It is impossible now to calculate in any known 
terms the service these first flaming messengers of 
freedom rendered to America, incomparably more 
than to France. Time will justly appraise this too. 
Seeger, Chapman, Prince, Rockwell, "all the 
Braves," as Paul Rockwell called them, together 
with those unnamed, unnumbered thousands who 
fought with Canada — will be the real, immortal 
heroes of this war. These are they who seeking 
nothing but their country's honor, found, in the 
noble phrase of one — Harry Butters — "honorable 
advancement" for their own souls, and in the 
darkest hour of our history kept burning in Europe 
a lamp of faith in America which never quite went 
out. 

Among them all there was no braver than this 
youngest brother — the "Benjamin" of his group, 
as Captain Thenault called him in his touching 
funeral address. All temptation to mourn for what 
he might have achieved falls before the actual 
thing he did achieve — at twenty years. 

At sixteen, he had written of the burial of the 
Vera Cruz dead: "Do you know, one almost wishes 
he could be honored that way," and later, of Vic- 
tor Chapman's death: "There was a death no man 
would shrink from finding." "To have the flags on 
one's casket," he thought, "would be a great com- 
pensation" for dying, and his last wishes were 
that the flags of both countries might float above 
his grave — "to show that I died for both." 

A French writer, celebrating the presence of 



xxii INTRODUCTION 

the American flag in France last July, recounted 
this: 

"Some months ago a young American aviator, 
struck by a German ball, fell from the sky upon our 
front. When they removed his garments, in order 
to confide him to the earth, it was found that he 
was wearing his flag, sown with stars, wrapped 
about his body. He had not the right to display 
it. We made of it his shroud. 

"To-day, that flag floats upon the wind beside 
our own." 

More blessed than this brave companion, for 
Genet there was reserved a signal distinction — a 
special felicity — the fulfilment of his early wish 
beyond his wildest imaginings. For after the hap- 
piness of seeing his country enter the war, it was 
his singular honor to be the first American to give 
his life under the Stars and Stripes. 

And for this bright immortality of fame Edmond 
Genet would have been content to die many times. 

Grace Ellery Channing. 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Prefatory Note vii 

Introduction xi 



AMERICA 

In the Navy — ^Vera Cruz and Hayti — 1914 . . • 1 

FRANCE 

In the Foreign Legion — 1915-1916 37 

Aviation — ^The Escadrille Lafayette — 1916-1917 . 171 

Conclusion 319 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Edmond Charles Clinton Genet Frontispiece 

FACING PAGE 

Albert Rivers Genet, Jr.; Gilbert Rodman Fox Genet; 

Edmond Charles Clinton Genet 8 

Members of the "Legion Etrangere" on leave in Paris, 

July 7, 1915 84 

"Citizen" Genet 102 

Major Raoul Lufbery, American Ace of the Lafayette 

Escadrille 264 

*• Whiskey-Man," the cub lion, mascot of the escadrille . 316 

Gmi-carriage bearing the body of Genet, surrounded by 

guard of honor 322 

Captain Thenault delivering the funeral discourse at the 

grave of Edmond Genet 328 



AMERICA 

IN THE NAVY— VERA CRUZ AND HAYTI 

1914 



To His Mother 

Chilmark Farm, Ossining-on-Hudson, N. Y. 
The Dairy, Feb. 20th, '14. 

Dear Mother, . . . 

As for me and the late exams, dear little Mother, 
I feel certain that I flunked on the Arithmetic and 
Geometry and almost sure that I failed on the 
Algebra too. I feel mighty down and out. I don't 
feel as if I had any brains worth anything at all. 
Here all the money, time and worry spent since last 
Spring has gone for nothing — failure. I wonder 
what is meant for me in this world anyway ? Now 
I've just got to go back to the Station, face the 
bunch, tell them I've been a rank failure and be 
just one of them — a common ordinary seaman. I 
hardly care what becomes of me. What's the use 
when I can't seem to gain anything but failure ? I 
don't feel that I have any more fight left in me. 
Now I'm going out into the World and hit it hard 
and let it hit me just as hard and harder in return. 

Please don't worry about me. Mother, I sort of 
feel as if I were the black sheep of the family, but 
perhaps that is because of my nature and possibly 
I'll get along better when I am older. . . . 

When I get back to the Station I am going to 
try to get into the Signal School if possible. Per- 
haps I will be able to do something there, but the 

3 



4 WAR LETTERS 

way I feel now I really don't feel as if I was capable 
of accomplishing anything at all. . . . 

Cheer up, Mother dear; even if I have failed 
twice and am a black sheep perhaps some day in the 
distant future I will turn out to be a white one and 
be something worth while. I feel about certain 
that Annapolis will never see me though. 

Your loving and affectionate son, 

Edmond. 

U. S. S. Constellation^ 
Newport, R. I. 
March 10th, 1914. Evenmg. 

I guess the game is up about Annapolis. Mr. 
Pearce showed me the Army and Navy Register 
this morning and in it was a list of candidates who 
passed and are going into the Academy. I've 
failed again and God only knows what that means 
to me. I can't tell you how I feel. It would break 
me down. I feel miserable enough now for having 
to write and tell you this disheartening news. 
You've written a good many letters to me trying to 
encourage me to look on the brightest side and I 
thank you with all my heart, dear little Mother, 
for doing it but I don't see much of a bright side to 
the future as it looms up before me like a big black 
cloud. I don't feel as if I had brains enough to get 
really into the branch of the Navy that I am here 
training for. I can't master swimming, I have 
practically lost all desire to try to learn that or 
j^any of the many other things required to be known 



EDMOND GENET 5 

before a recruit is sent out. I feel lost and un- 
steady. I feel stopped up mentally and weak 
physically. I want to get away — I hardly know 
where except that I want it to be out of this country 
and where I can be "gone," if not forever, until 
I will have made good in something if that will ever 
be possible for one of my temperament. . . . No 
notice has come from the Academy yet but don't 
think that means anything favorable. I expect the 
report to come in a very few days rejected — God, 
how the word grinds into me ! I almost believe I'm 
going crazy. Only a part of me is here. The rest 
is off into the future — trying to fathom it and to see 
where and what is best to begin on. I've determined 
to remain here anyway until the company goes out 
on its furlough April 6th, and then, if I succeed in 
getting by with it by being passed without qualify- 
ing in swimming (for I am sure that will be the only 
way I shall get by in it as I feel sure I won't be able 
to qualify) and I pass in the rest, I shall reconsider 
staying in the service and fighting on at least for a 
while longer, but, if I have to stay behind I am posi- 
tive I shall "jump ship" the very first chance I get 
and then good-by to the Navy and all the rest I 
can't keep on with a thing I can't like — it isn't my 
nature. I love you too much, dear Mother, to 
want to go against your wishes so please, please 
don't make your wishes contrary to my desires. 
... I feel that Annapolis is entirely lost to me. 
I have given up all hope of ever getting there. My 
hopes and dreams are shattered forever and I may 



6 WAR LETTERS 

as well acknowledge that now as later. I have to 
laugh at myself for thinking of getting into An- 
napolis when I don't even seem to possess brains 
enough to be a simple petty officer in my own com- 
pany here. It sounds ridiculous to me now. . . . 

March 13th, 19U— Evening. 

My dear little Mother, 

I received your letter of the 12th to-day and was 
mighty glad to hear from you. I can hardly see 
why you never have thought I would succeed in 
getting into the Academy but I guess it's true. To- 
day I let go by another chance to get into the signal 
school for two reasons, — first, because Buck told 
me the chances of advancement are slow in that 
line and second, because I don't feel as if I had the 
brains to get through the signal school. It takes 
mighty quick eyesight and brain- work to be a sig- 
nal-boy, and I honestly don't feel capable of either. 
I feel as if I had lost almost all power of compre- 
hending things quickly and easily like I used to be 
able to do. 

Mr. Pearce talked to me this morning and — well 
I suppose I have made you worry a good deal about 
me, dear Mother, and I am mighty, mighty sorry 
that I have; but please try not to worry about me. 
I'll try to get along in the service but I get so dis- 
couraged sometimes that I have a hard struggle to 
keep myself in restraint. I'm getting so I don't 
know what I am doing sometimes. . . . 

I will never get over the shock of Val's death. 



EDMOND GENET 7 

Mother. It haunts me again and again. I feel as 
if he took a big piece of my heart away with him. 
I never thought before he died that he and I were 
so much to each other. . . . 

Barracks C, 

Newport, R. I. 

March 23rd, 1914. 

We are scheduled to go out on the 31st, a week 
from next Tuesday (to-morrow), so if I pass the 
exams and get off I shall be in Nor ris town by noon 
of the 1st and shall stay with you at least until the 
following Monday. 

I feel as if I was going crazy. I have gotten so 
I don't give a hang what I do and I suppose before 
I know it I'll get into some trouble and spoil the 
whole hash. I feel almost worn out and therefore 
mighty miserable. This week is dragging along 
slower than molasses in January. 

Mr. Buck said this morning that he had seen my 
exam papers (the Annapolis ones) and that Mr. 
Morrison had them and would probably call me up 
in his office to-day, but thus far I have received no 
word from him. I don't see why they were sent 
to the Station authorities here and not direct to 
me but I'll probably find out to-morrow. I laugh 
at the fact of my trying to enter the Naval Acad- 
emy and become a commissioned officer when I 
am too insignificant here at the Station to even be 
the lowest of the petty officers. I'm like a ship 
that is going around in a circle because it has no 
compass, — lost. ... 



8 WAR LETTERS 

Please ask Aunt Frances that if I do get on to 
see you both I would be mighty well pleased if she 
would be so considerate of my having had no real 
enjoyable feed here that she will make some of her 
very excellent cinnamon buns if it won't be too 
much trouble to her. . . . 

Edmond. 



U. S. Naval Training Station, 

Newport, R. I. 

April 15th, 1914, p. m. Barracks B. 

Last night I sent a hurried postal saying that it 
had been rumored that war had been declared with 
Mexico, and I was down on the draft which was to 
go out to-day. Well my name was down and a 
lot of us got ready last night but to-day a bunch 
of us were left off the draft which leaves on the 
Tacoma for Mexican waters early to-morrow, and 
it may be a number of weeks before we go out and 
we may get sent off next week. 

It seemed so good to have gotten back here and 
the same day to hear that we were to be hurriedly 
sent off to Mexico that it is quite a disappointment 
not to be going with the ones who seem to be so 
lucky; but we all are hoping to get away soon and 
see real service and perhaps a touch of fighting 
"with the greasers." 



On board the U. S. S. Georgia, 
April 23rd, 1914. Noon. 

We sail for Mexico at 4 this p. M. No stops at 




Albert Rivers Genet, Jr.; Gilbert Rodman Fox Genet; 
Edmond Charles Clinton Genet. 



EDMOND GENET 9 

all anywhere are the orders. Will probably get 
there this time next week. 

We are the 2nd vessel of the 3rd division of the 
Atlantic Fleet. 

Watch the papers for reports of us. 

Pray for us, dear little Mother, and may God 
keep you well and strong while I am away. Rivers 
may have to go out also. I send him a postal with 
this mail. Please let Rod. know as I have no time 
to do so. 

Good-by, little Mother, and please don't worry 
about my safety too much. If I have to be killed 
I am not at all afraid of it. I'm in to do my duty 
even if it does cost me my life. 

Lots and lots of love to you and Aunt F. and 
may God watch over us all. 

Saturday afternoon, April 25th, 1914. 
On board the U. S. S. Georgia. 

Yesterday the landing-forces were organized and 
my name was among those of the 6-inch-gun crews 
who are to remain aboard and cover those on shore, 
but several — and it surprises me that any could — 
asked to be allowed to stay aboard and the officer 
in charge of the landing-force asked if there were 
any who would volunteer to go in their places. I 
was the first to step forward and after some hard 
and earnest talking and assuring that I could use 
a rifle I was put down in the landing-force, which 
makes me feel mighty pleased. It is the most dan- 
gerous position, but I would rather step forward 



10 WAR LETTERS 

and volunteer, as I did, to give my services and my 
life if needs be, to go into the most danger than to 
stay aboard as if I were afraid to fight. It may 
be, dear little Mother, that I may never return 
alive to the ship, but I shall die fighting for the 
country I love and have given myself to serve and 
I honestly say that I am going in to fight with no 
fear of death. Why should I? It would do me 
no good to be afraid and it surely will do me a lot 
of harm. 

It may be that we won't land but from all reports 
I think we shall. We have to carry a heavy knap- 
sack and gun, food and clothing, a poncho and am- 
munition, so you see we shall each have a heavy 
load to fight with. 

We are now about off N. Carolina and haven't 
stopped anywhere. We haven't even been in sight 
of land. It certainly seems good to be on a man- 
of-war, and especially to be really bound for real 
war. The routine is not very hard here and I 
think I shall be able to get along very smoothly. . . . 

We'll get to Vera Cruz about Saturday next I 
should judge and I'll mail another letter to you 
then. . . . 

We were given a great send-off at Boston. Big 
crowds lined the docks and cheered and whistles 
blew constantly. We were the last ship to go out 
and so we got the best send-off. 

The Virginia is plodding along just ahead of us. 



EDMOND GENET 11 

U. S. S. Georgia, 

Vera Cruz, Mexico. 

May 6th, 1914. 

My dear little Mother, 

We arrived here on the morning of the 1st and 
have been anchored off the City ever since simply 
waiting. The artillery section of the landing-force 
has been ashore twice but they have come back 
both times the day they landed and have done no 
fighting. 

To-day over three hundred regulation khaki 
suits were brought on board and are to be distrib- 
uted among the landing-force. This looks as if 
fighting were really expected and possibly we may 
get it before very long. Reports state that the 
Mexicans are only waiting for reinforcements before 
they attempt to retake Vera Cruz. If that is the 
case we'll have all the fighting we can do. 

Last Sunday afternoon the battleship Montana 
left here for N. Y. with the remains of 14 sailors 
and 3 marines who were killed in the fighting here. 
It was a mighty impressive sight to see her steam 
slowly out between the war-ships here with all the 
ensigns at half-mast, the bands playing the funeral 
march and all the crews standing along the decks 
of their ships, facing her, with bared heads. If 
anything serious occurs here how many of us will 
be carried back the same way.?^ 

This is pay-day so I shall have to stop for a while 
to work. . . . Last week I was incidentally asked 
by a chief yeoman on board if I would like a posi- 



12 WAR LETTERS 

tion in the Pay OflSce. I told him I would and, at 
his direction, went up to the Pay Master and asked 
for the position. I was detailed last Saturday. 
The position is that of striker for yeoman. The 
fellow whose place I am filling is to be advanced to 
3rd-class yeoman so you see what it leads up to. 
It can further lead up to Ist-class yeoman, chief 
yeoman and perhaps to Pay Master whose pay is 
$264 per month with expenses. A pretty good 
chance, isn't it ? I was mighty lucky to get it. As 
soon as the fellow I spoke of is rated I get $5 extra 
added to my $21 per. The work is pleasant and a 
great deal nicer than if I were working on the decks. 
That's why I have to work now to help pay off 
the men. . . . 

It is as hot as blazes down here though the 
weather has been just fine. We all work in our 
undershirts in the office. . . . 

May 80th, 1914. 

Am using the pen. It is O. K. and I'm mighty 
glad to have one again. Also thank you for the 
magazines. They are just the right ones and I'll 
get a lot of pleasure out of them in my spare time 
and I'll hand them around as well so they will give 
others pleasure also. . . . 

I guess the war trouble is about over so guess no 
others will be ordered down here. Dr. MacC. 
speaks of the funeral in N. Y. of those sailors & 
marines. He says, "Dr. Squires & myself went 
down Br 'd way and stood on the curb. I wouldn't 



EDMOND GENET 13 

have missed paying that last honor for anything. 
It was all I could do just now." He also says, 
"Edmond, you could have heard a pin drop when 
the bodies passed, and every hat was off and women, 
and men too, bowed their heads." It certainly 
must have been impressive. Do you know, Mother, 
one almost wishes he too could be honored that 
way? 

I had my feet on real Mexican soil for the first 
time this p. M. Went ashore to see a baseball game 
between the Georgia's team and that of the 28th 
Inft. I hope to get shore liberty this coming week 
so I'll have a good chance to see Vera Cruz. It 
surely is a picturesque city, — white plaster houses, 
an old white-walled fort in front and the high, 
snow-capped, volcanic mountains behind to Set it 
off. In the early mornings when the sun is just 
coming up it presents the most beautiful piece of 
scenery I have ever seen. The green of the near-by 
hills is so vivid, the water so blue and sparkling, the 
town so white and old-looking with its towers and 
old fort and the high gray mountains almost fifty 
miles in the background, together with the grim 
gray battleships anchored in the foreground, pre- 
sent a picture in colors and scenery that would give 
pleasure to an artist to place on canvas. I never 
expected it to be such a beautiful place. . . . 

I doubt if any more serious trouble will ensue 
between the U. S. and Huerta. They seem to be 
coming to terms now. To me it is all folly — this 
peacemaking with a miserable cutthroat. . . . 



14 WAR LETTERS 

July 11, 1914. 

It has been rather misty around the mountains 
of late so I haven't had a glimpse of Orizaba with 
its snow-capped peak for some time. Just these 
days it is full moon and it sure is beautiful here in 
the evenings in the moonlight. Almost every night 
we have motion pictures to look at and they help 
to agreeably and enjoyably pass away the evenings 
before tattoo. They show some pretty good films 
too. 

Second-class mail just brought in. The maga- 
zines are here from you and many, many thanks to 
you and Rivers for being so good to your sailor- 
son. 

A small and yet what might have been a big in- 
cident occurred on the American line, which radi- 
ates about three miles around Vera Cruz, the other 
day. It seems that at a certain point the Mexican 
troops are stationed just a short distance from our 
line. A captain of a troop of U. S. soldiers unwisely 
led (perhaps it was unsuspectingly) his men across 
the line and was stopped by a Mexican colonel with 
a squad of his men who advanced with a flag of 
truce when he saw the Americans cross the line. 
The colonel demanded to know why the Americans 
had overstepped the limit of the American line. In 
reply the captain of our force said that he was 
making maps and rather curtly asked the Mexican 
what he intended to do about it. He replied that 
if the Americans did not retreat to their line he 
would order his force to attack them. This would 



EDMOND GENET 15 

very likely have resulted in the complete annihila- 
tion of our force as they were outnumbered by the 
Mexicans and they had a great deal better posi- 
tion. As it was, however, the captain wisely re- 
treated and that ended the incident but it shows 
what might possibly happen at any time. Things 
are rather unbalanced. If things did come to a 
climax it would be a thousand times better than 
this suspense. 

I must close now and get down below to do some 
strenuous scrubbing. Scrubbing dirty clothes on 
Sat. afternoon wouldn't appeal to me at all on the 
outside but in the Navy — well it has to be done so 
one gets used to it and then it isn't really hard 
work anyway. I know one thing, though, and that 
is that when I get a wife she can darn my clothes 
but she'll never wash them if I can prevent it. I 
wonder when I will get married. Not until my 
income is pretty nigh on to $200 or $250 a month 
anyway. 

July 25th, 1914. 
What do you think came in the mail this morn- 
ing.? Something mighty acceptable, — a long let- 
ter from . She wrote it in gay Paris on the 3rd 

and 4th of July. She says that when they started 
across she was just lingering between life and 
death and the only hope they had was that the sea 
air would either help her or kill her. It helped her 
and when she wrote the letter she was very much 
better and stronger only full of medicine. Her ac- 



16 WAR LETTERS 

counts of some people she has seen in Paris are 
great. She's having one good time I guess. . . . 

Ma, I've been a bad kid. Last Friday (week) I 
lost my miserable temper while talking to one of the 
Chief Master-at-Arms and in consequence I spent 
all of last Saturday in the ship's "pie-house" 
munching angel-cake and white wine (bread & 
water). Some real sailor your noble son is now. 
You know one isn't really a real sailor until he has 
"done time" in the sweat-house so I've done time 
and am a real sailor. I don't care to do any more 
"time" though, thank you, if I can help it. 

I suppose you know the latest dope about the 
Mexican situation. Huerta has "beat it" and now 
peace, gentle, noble peace, is hanging by a very thin 
thread. War, bitter, bitter war may still trouble 
the hearts and pockets of our glorious countrymen. 
We'll not be North until Oct. or Nov. or Dec. or 
Jan. or Goodness knows when anyway. That's the 
most explicit dope I can deal out just now. "Where 
there's life, there's hope" but there is very little 
"life" down here so I guess there is very little 
"hope" either. . . . 



U. S. S. Georgia, 

Passage Vera Cruz, Mexico, to Port au Prince, 

Hayti. 

August 7th, 1914. 

Unless you have seen in the papers that the 
Georgia has left Vera Cruz for Port au Prince, Hayti, 
you are doubtless surprised to know that fact from 



EDMOND GENET 17 

this letter. It was a quick leave-taking of Mexico, 
because the sailing orders were not received until 
Friday afternoon, the 31st, and we had to coal all 
of Saturday, taking on 1,200 tons, and a lot of com- 
missary and ship's stores besides before we could 
leave, which was about 9.30 p. m. Saturday, the 1st. 
It made just exactly three months that we were at 
Vera Cruz. 

To-morrow, probably in the morning, we shall 
get to Port au Prince. We are quite near the Cu- 
ban coast now. This morning we passed Santiago. 
Until now I did not realize that Cuba was so moun- 
tainous. 

The weather has been great all the way, although 
a trifle rough. Every minute or so a wave will 
break over our bow. I managed to get a letter off 
to Rod. last Sat. before we left but, as I was very 
very busy all Friday in taking care of clothing stores 
which were brought on board for us then and coal- 
ing ship, etc., all Saturday I could get in no time to 
drop you or Rivers any word of the sudden change. 
This will leave for the States on the Connecticut, 
which we are to relieve, to-morrow. 

There is, as I suppose you already know from 
the papers, some trouble going on in Hayti, and I 
believe part of the crew are to land and take up 
camping quarters when we arrive. Mr. Coontz, 
our captain, was naval governor of Guam when we 
had military control of that island, so I presume 
that is the principal reason why the Georgia was 
ordered to go there, so that if the U. S. had to 



18 WAR LETTERS 

forcibly interfere with the present situation in 
Hayti, Coontz might be put in charge on account 
of his experience as governor of Guam. 

The present situation in Europe certainly looks 
pretty serious, doesn't it? With England, Russia, 
and France against Germany, Austria, and perhaps 
Italy, there surely will be a mighty big war and a 
big change in the geography of Europe when it 
finally ends. 

Do you know anything about ? I had a 

postal from her in last Saturday's mail, but when 
she wrote that the war was unknown. Now I guess 
American tourists are making hurried tracks for 
home, so I wonder if she and her aunt have returned 
also. I have a letter I shall mail to her, but I hard- 
ly know where to send it — France or the States. 

I understood, when we left, that all the ships at 
Vera Cruz except the Delaware and Kansas were 
to return to the States this week. I wish we would 
be ordered to go to Europe soon. I'd like a mighty 
lot to get over there while the excitement lasts. 
Three wars in one cruise! That would be going 
some — Mexican, Haytian, and International Euro- 
pean War! I guess the last named is the only 
really serious one, and even that may not be very 
serious, although it doesn't look that way just at 
present. 

U. S. S. Georgia, 

Port au Prince, Hayti. 

August 20th, 1914. Evening. 

Mail leaves for the United States of America to- 



EDMOND GENET 19 

morrow on the collier Ccesar, and I am, therefore, 
heroically endeavoring to write this epistle so it 
may leave then. We have been coaling ship all 
day — started at 5 this morning, and I feel pretty 
tired. 

Have been ashore twice to ball-games which the 
different divisions of the ship have been having 
among themselves. Yesterday was the second of 
those two times and I sure did enjoy it immensely. 

The natives are a mixture of French and negro 
blood and talk a dialect most of which is of French. 
They are a treacherous lot and are easily excited 
and aroused. The majority of them carry knives, 
short swords, or daggers concealed in their sleeves 
or jackets. The first time I was ashore I bought a 
broad-bladed short sword in a neat case. It makes 
a good trophy. 

The scenery here is quite picturesque. The har- 
bor is almost like a basin (here is an outline of it). 
Facing the city from the ship — on the right are 
very high mountains, and on the left is another 
range — not quite as high, but which in their rock 
formation remind me very much of pictures I have 
seen of the Bad Lands in the U. S. or the Colorado 
or Arizona ranges — especially when the rays of the 
setting sun strike them. Their colors are beautiful. 
The city is on a gentle slope and to its right is a 
grassy plain which stretches across a valley to the 
opposite range. The large island at the entrance 
encloses the harbor a great deal, which gives it the 
basin idea of which I spoke before. I am enclosing 



20 WAR LETTERS 

a couple of postals — one of the inside of the big 
cathedral which is the most prominent edifice here 
and which is mighty pretty inside, and one of the 
English church, Saint Anne. I haven't seen the 
latter. Notice the high range behind Saint Anne. 
I mention that fact on the back of that card. The 
baseball park is almost at the base of the range, 
and one has to be on the park grounds and look up 
at the mountains to really realize their height and 
what a climb it would be to attain their summit. 
The sides are very rugged — covered largely with 
small hillocks and gullies. I think it is a volcanic 
formation to some extent — probably very old. It 
looks as if lava formation was there. 

It rains here just once every 24 hours and that is 
between 5 and 7 every afternoon — usually about 
sunset — a short shower or a thunder-storm. 

We arrived here early on the morning of the 8th, 
relieving the Connecticut , which left soon after. 
The scout Sacramento is here also. There is some 
talk that we may go soon to Porta Plata, which is 
on the northern coast of Santo Domingo. I can't 
say anything definite about that though. I have 
better news which I really hope and pray is to be 
so. That is that we are to be in Philly. for two 
weeks about the middle of Oct. to attend some 
sort of a fleet review there. I do hope so because 
that will give me a fine chance to be with you, 
dear Mother. . . . 

The Virginia left Guantanamo, Cuba, the day 
before yesterday for Vera Cruz. There is a good 



EDMOND GENET £1 

deal of questioning whether we will not get the 
same destination soon also. We may even be sent 
to guard the Canal — there has been some indefinite 
talk about that. The most hopeful dope is that 
the Georgia's annual repair period commences the 
middle of October and we all hope that we will 
land in the States for then as usual. No definite 
news about future manoeuvres have been received 
at all yet. 

Next Monday is Labor Day and we are going to 
have some races and I guess a baseball game. 
When I look back on Labor Day of last year when 
I was in Easton and had dear old Val out with me 
it seems ages ago and just yesterday — both at once. 
It's going on to a year since he died now, Mother, 
and I feel just as badly over it now as I did the day 
he died — worse too because I've missed him so 
much ever since. 

Mother dear, how would you like me to go 
through West Point? 

September 14th, 1914. 

Your letters reached me on Saturday. . . . 

We get war-bulletins practically every day 
straight from France, so in that way we are pretty 
able to follow the different moves the conflict is 
taking. I feel sure that the Germans will never 
take Paris. I've a lot of faith in the French tactics 
and in the French aviation corps, which certainly 
has lots of power and opportunity to do some 
mighty effective work against the German invaders. 



22 WAR LETTERS 

The Allies are holding pretty strong, and it will 
certainly surprise me if the Kaiser's troops are suc- 
cessful very much longer. 

I told in my letter that I really thought it 

a very unfair play on her part: — I went off to war 
in Mexico and she for a pleasure-trip to Europe, 
and after all I found no fighting at all, while she 
landed right into a big European war and very 
likely has tasted of more war than I will in my 
whole naval career. I'm jealous ! . . . 

The Virginia only came as far as Guantanamo, 
Cuba, and a little over a week ago she was ordered 
to return to Vera Cruz on account of the trouble 
Carranza has been making against the Americans 
there of late. 

When we shall be back I cannot say definitely 
now. Many think we shall have target practice at 
Hampton Roads by the middle of October, and 
then go up to Boston for repairs, but that is very 
uncertain. . . . 

Yes, dear Mother, enlisted men who have had 
at least one year's service and are of age to enter 
Annapolis may take the competitive exams held 
each August, and the 15 highest can take the fol- 
lowing entrance exams and if successful can enter 
the Academy. I would have tried this Aug. but I 
had not had 12 months' service so could not do so. 
I am studying to take next year's exams, but I am 
(and Rivers also) endeavoring to somehow get an 
outside appointment, if possible, for next Spring's 
entrance exams. 



EDMOND GENET 23 

U. S. S. Georgia, 

Southern Drill Grounds. 

October 17th, 1914. 

We arrived at Hampton Roads last Friday 
(week), coaled and remained there until Sunday 
when we left for the outside on the grounds here. 
All this week has been devoted to torpedo firing 
and yesterday and to-day we have been firing the 
different batteries. To-night we are to have 3" 
night target practice. I have to record the ranges 
for the port 3" guns. While the other batteries 
are firing (the 6", 8'' and 12'') I am away down in 
the "plotting-room" or "substation" where the 
oflicers plot out the ranges, etc. We don't get 
very much of the sound or recoil down there. A 
comparatively light concussion is felt when the 
12" are fired but nothing of any account. 

Target practice will be over to-morrow, provid- 
ing the weather is fair enough and then we are to 
fire a few torpedoes. After that is over we go into 
the Roads and take on a small amount of experi- 
mental coal (some new kind which the government 
wants US' to test) and then proceed to Boston at 
top speed to test the new coal. We'll make be- 
tween 17 and 19 knots — a pretty good speed for 
this ship. 

As soon as we get to Boston, which I expect will 
be next Wednesday or Thursday (21st or 22nd) I 
am down for a five-day furlough. The very first 
train I can get will carry me to New York with one 
glad heart stowed away under my ribs. . . . 



24 WAR LETTERS 

October 19th, 1914. 

Though this target practice has been almost un- 
bearably slow it has proved a big success for the 
Georgia. This morning when we finished up with 
the main battery, the 8 and 12 inch guns, we scored 
a very large percentage of hits. The Star'd Waist 
8'' Turret scored 12 hits out of 12 shots. Surely 
no nation can beat the U. S. in heavy gun firing. 
I'll leave the interesting things I can tell you 
about the firing until I see you too. 

Please bake a cake for me — one of the old- 
home kind with chocolate. I can taste it now 
and, believe your tarry son, my mouth just waters 
for it. . . . 



Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass. 
November 2nd, 1914. 



Mr. Pearce came over to see me Wednesday and 
we had quite a talk together. He says that another 
examination will be held for enlisted men some 
time early in 1915 for another 15 to try the April 
entrance exams, and those passing will go in in 
June. He advises me to try for that but, Mother 
dear, I don't see how I can bone up by then enough 
to try. I've gotten so disgusted with it all that I 
don't know what to do. 

With war threatening with either Turkey or 
Japan or both one can't tell where he is going to be 
or what will be done next. We coal to-morrow and 
leave between the 6th and 8th for Hampton Rds. 



EDMOND GENET 25 

It looks very likely to me that we shall be drawn 
into this world conflict sooner or later. I've still 
got some hopes of dying for my country, Mother. 

Write often, dear Mother, and try to make the 
best of present conditions. We all hope for a bet- 
ter and brighter future. I wonder how long one 
would last in this world if he had no hope ? Not a 
great while. 



U. S. S. Georgia, 

Hampton Roads, Va. 

November 14th, 1914. 

Afternoon late. 

We came into the Roads just this afternoon 
and, I believe, will remain here until we go out 
to the Drill Grounds again next Wednesday with 
the entire lot of ships and torpedo-destroyers 
which are collected here now ready for the com- 
ing fleet manoeuvres. There is quite a big bunch 
of the vessels of the Fleet assembled here off Old 
Point Comfort and it makes quite an impressive 
sight. 

Just as soon as the Fleet target practice is com- 
pleted we go straight back to Boston, and it is ex- 
pected we'll be there by the 25th or thereabouts. 
The first furlough party is expected to leave about 
the 27th and there are to be three parties during 
the two and a half months repair period — each to 
have twenty-six days' leave. If I can possibly get 



26 WAR LETTERS 

the 2nd party which begins about Dec. 21st and 
includes Xmas in it I am going to do it. 

It's just one year ago to-day that dear Val. died. 
Mother. How I wish he was still alive and well ! 
I wonder often if I will ever get another such 
chum again — one I can really call a chum such as 
Val was.f^ 

" O thou child of many prayers ! 
Life hath quicksands — Life hath snares! 
Care and age (and death) come unawares!'* 

How true that little epigram seems to me now, 
dear Mother. See how quickly death is coming 
to thousands engaged in the present European 
war. . . . 

U. S. S. Georgia y 

Drill Ground. 

Nov. 23rd, 1914. 

Your letter of the 19th reached me the day be- 
fore yesterday. The cruiser Yankton brings mail 
out to the fleet practically every afternoon and 
takes the outgoing mail back with her to the Roads. 

Up to Saturday last week was very rainy and 
the target practice was delayed. On Saturday the 
2nd Division fired and yesterday we were all pre- 
pared to do so early in the morning, but the rays 
of the sun proved so strong that they created a 
haze or mist on the water and the targets could 
not be discerned at the required fifteen or more 



EDMOND GENET 9rt 

thousand yards which is the minimum range used 
in this kind of fleet target practice. It is practically 
the same range that would separate two fleets in 
actual engagements in modern warfare. Five or 
eight miles would seem to be quite a long range 
for battle but it sure isn't in sea-fights of to-day. 
Yesterday they used to grapple alongside and board 
the enemy's ship with small arms. To-day they 
bombard each other at a distance of from four to 
twelve miles. To-morrow they will probably be 
fighting entirely with torpedo-boats and subma- 
rines. Such is the evolution of naval warfare. 

Posted up on the Crew's bulletin-board is a no- 
tice that the entire Atlantic Fleet is to be in readi- 
ness by the last of February or March first to as- 
semble in the Roads and take the Canal-Pacific 
trip to the Exposition. The Georgia is not to be a 
Pacific ship. We'll take the trip, see the Exposi- 
tion, but will return about September and be put 
in reserve, as a reserve ship to the Atlantic Fleet, 
in the Back Channel of the Philly. Navy Yard. 
That is the very latest and best dope I can give 
you. Mother. If I stay in through next year it 
sounds mighty fine to me. 

I have started in to study again for the exams 
for the Academy next Spring and while we are in 
the Yard I am thinking very seriously of going to 
night-school three times a week. It will do me 
no harm to do so even if, after all, I should buy out 
later or not take the exams for some other reason. 
There is one other young fellow on board, an elec- 



28 WAR LETTERS 

trician, who is thinking of trying for the Academy, 
and we may study on board together. If possible 
we are going to try to get one of the officers to 
help us. 

U. S. S. Georgia, 
Hampton Roads, Va. 
November 29th, 1914. 

I'm looking forward to being down at the Shat- 
tamuc a few times while I am in Ossining so that 
I can keep up the beloved acquaintanceship with 
the piano. 

I've received permission from the Executive 
Officer to attend night-school Monday, Tuesday 
and Thursday nights of each week while the ship 
is in Boston, so I hope to make some progress in 
Geometry and Algebra, the subjects I shall take 
there. The school will close on December four- 
teenth, I understand, so I won't have but about a 
week after arrival at Boston, but it will reopen 
after the holidays about January fifth and when I 
return from my leave I can start in again and keep 
on until we leave about the fifteenth of February. 

Although I had hoped very much to be able to 
be with you and Aunt Frances on Christmas Day 
and help you eat your Christmas dinner, I am 
about positive, dear Mother, that I shall have to 
enjoy that day as best I can aboard ship or in 
Boston and wait until New Year's Day to be with 
you. If possible I am going to get to Boston on 
Christmas morning and go to Church there and 
take Holy Communion. 



EDMOND GENET 29 

The Georgia has proven to be one of Uncle Sam's 
best and most efficient ships this year. We were 
first in the preliminary target practice, only the 
North Dakota excelled us in the number of hits 
scored. Yesterday the Commander read off to us 
a letter of commendation from Rear Admiral 
Beatty, our Divisional Commander, praising the 
Georgia for her marked efficiency in the matter of 
sending and receiving signals during battle manoeu- 
vres. The Georgia in other years has been rather 
a tail-end ship but this year has proved her mettle 
and we all feel mighty proud of ourselves and our 
ship. 

What did you do on Thanksgiving Day ? Were 
you invited out to dinner .^^ We are to have our 
Thanksgiving dinner to-morrow noon. It was to 
be served to-day but the Starboard watch is away 
on liberty and so it will be served to-morrow, so 
that all may enjoy it. Thanksgiving, Christmas, 
New Years and the Fourth of July are the Navy 
feeding days. 

With a great deal of love. 



U. S. S. Georgia^ 

Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass. 

December 14th, 1914. 

Yesterday I went to 10 o'clock Communion at 
St. Paul's Cathedral, the one I went to before, and 
again to the regular 11 o'clock service. The ser- 
mon was a fine one — relating to the present war 
and the relation of American Christians to it. 



30 WAR LETTERS 

The choir sang one of the most beautiful hymns 
during the offering I have ever heard. The choir is 
entirely male and one man with a wonderful bari- 
tone voice sang and the choir sang each alternate 
verse. The name of the hymn was "What of the 
Night.?" 



December 15th, 1914. 

This morning a request which I handed into the 
Executive's office for a four-day extension of the 
six days due me to commence at noon on the 29th 
was O.K'ed. by him, so that now I have ten days' 
leave coming which extends from the above-men- 
tioned date to noon on the 8th of Jan. . . . An- 
other little plan I have doped out is as follows: 
Wednesday afternoons are open on all U. S. men- 
of-war for visitors. (Do you grasp what the dope 
is ?) You and Aunt F. and any or all of the Sup- 
plees who can, meet me in Philly. when I get there 
about noon on the 30th, and we can go down to 
the Navy Yard and I'll take you over one of my 
ships. You see now why I want to get off on the 
29th so I can be there by noon of the 30th .? . . . 

The atmosphere here is decidedly chilly but I've 
gotten so hardened and such a tough "tar" that 
I'm going around with a summer undershirt, a light 
blue jumper and wide-open neck and bare arms 
and don't feel it at all. In fact I feel mighty good 
and healthy. I'd much rather have this climate 
tha^ the miserable heat of Vera Cruz or Hayti. 



EDMOND GENET 31 

Athens Hotel, New York. 
Thursday afternoon, 
January 14th, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

Arrived all right at noon, and have just come 
back from down-town where I have had my pass- 
port visSed by the French Consul and purchased my 
transportation to Havre, France, via S. S. Rocham- 
beau, which sails Monday at 3 p. M. 

Try not to feel too badly over my going. God 
is going to take care of me, dear patient Mother. 
I am not afraid of death and I have always trusted 
in God to guide me and I always will. I know I 
am the black sheep of the family — a wanderer, but 
somehow I'll get through. 

I never expect to come back — death seems nearer 
to me than any possible chances of going through 
the horrible ghastly conflict which is carousing over 
Europe without meeting death. I do not fear 
when I think of it. Mother. I can give my life just 
as freely for the Tricolor as I can for Old Glory. 

Will you look among your possessions and see if 
you have a small cross which I can put on a cord 
and wear around my neck.'^ I don't want the one 
you always wear. It is too expensive. I thought 
possibly you had another which was less expensive. 
You will get this to-morrow, I hope, and if you send 
a letter and the cross, if you have one, either to- 
morrow or Saturday it ought to reach me here 
Monday morning anyway. I shall board the ves- 
sel about 1.30 Monday afternoon. 



32 WAR LETTERS 

God bless and keep you well and safe, dear 
Mother, and ask Him to keep safe and give 
strength to 

Your ever loving son, 

Edmond. 

Monday morning, Jan. 18th, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

I received your letter last Saturday with the 
cross and thank you ever and ever so much for it. 
It is just what I wanted and a very good size. 
Your letter of the 16th came this morning with the 
prayer. It is a mighty good one and I will keep it 
always with me, dear Mother. 

If you looked at the shipping news yesterday you 
will know that the Rochambeau's sailing has been 
postponed from to-day until Wednesday, the 20th, 
at 3 p. M., so that I have two days more to wait 
around. It seems as if there were no end of delays. 

I will do what I can to arrange so you will know 
if I lose my life or anything else happens to me in 
the war, dear Mother. I don't want to advertise 
myself too much though. 

I thank God, Mother, that I do not have to be 
running away from my own dear family. Most 
boys have to go through that experience. It makes 
it so much easier when I know that there is a home 
with you always. God bless you, dear Mother, 
and keep you happy and give you many, many 
years more in which to be happy and well. God 
will take care of me. I will always trust in Him 



EDMOND GENET 33 

to give me strength to fight my battles and to give 
me success, and if it so pleases Him to take me I 
want you to know that I will go willingly and with 
a glad heart. 

I will write another letter before the vessel sails 
on Wednesday. 

January 20th, 1915. 

Your letter was just handed me and this must 
be my last to you for some time at least. 

I have written to a few of the old friends, dear 
Mother. . . . 

I had noticed before the words for the 18th. 
Surely will I try to follow them, especially the lat- 
ter, "Duty must be done." 

The cross is just the right size and I am glad 
you did not get a larger one. I have the little 
book of the New Testament which Mr. Pearce 
gave me and perhaps, dear Mother, out on the bat- 
tle-field I may be able to say a prayer for some fal- 
len comrade. I hope God will give me strength to 
help those who are fallen, be they friends or enemies. 

God will take care of me. Mother. I trust in 
Him with all my heart and soul. May He keep 
you well and safe and happy and guide me back 
to you some day. I am not afraid if He sees fit 
to take me. I am His and He will do with me as 
He sees fit. 

Good-by, my own dear Mother, and God bless 
and keep you in His perfect care. 

Always your loving Edmond. 



34 WAR LETTERS 

Athens Hotel, New York. 
Wednesday, January 20th, 1915. 

My dear Jeannette, 

Possibly you thought that I was not very much 
in earnest when I told you that you would very 
likely never see me again, — that I was not going to 
return to Boston. It is true. I sail this afternoon 
on the S. S. Rochambeau for France to throw away 
my life, if need be, in the war. I intend to join the 
French forces as soon as possible after reaching 
Paris, which will be about the twenty-seventh of 
this month. 

There appear to be very, very few possibilities of 
my escaping through the conflict alive. It looks 
to be a long one and sooner or later I expect to 
have to give up my life on the battle-field. I care 
nothing about that. Death to me is but the be- 
ginning of another life — better and sweeter. I do 
not fear it. 

If I ever do return to this land of great possibili- 
ties I want to find you the biggest success the 
stage- world has ever had. You can do it, and in 
the right way too. The best of luck and success 
to you, dear Star. 

Good-by to you all. You may be sure that I 
shall never forget you even while I may be prod- 
ding Germans with my bayonet or being stuck 
myself. 

Your devoted friend, 

Edmond. 



EDMOND GENET 35 

Athens Hotel, 

New York. 

January 20th, 1915. 

My dear Bill, 

This is farewell perhaps for the last time. I sail 
for France this afternoon on the S. S. Rochambeau. 
I am going to take my chances in the great war 
with the French. I hardly expect to live through 
it but that matters little to me. 

Good-by and the best of luck to you all, dear 
old Pal. I'm a queer sort I know but I'm not so 
queer that I shall ever forget my old boyhood 
friends and comrades. I was born to be a wan- 
derer. 

Success to you all and farewell. 

Your old chum, 

Monk. 



FRANCE 
IN THE FOREIGN LEGION 
1915-1916 



A Bord de Rochambeau. 
28th January, 1915. 

My darling little Mother, 

We are not yet in Havre but I will take this 
time to tell you something of the voyage across 
and finish up to-morrow before leaving the ship. 
We are due off Havre to-night but will not dock 
until early to-morrow morning. It is hoped it will 
be in time for us to catch an express- train which 
leaves there for Paris about eight o'clock. 

We entered the Channel to-day. 

We did not pull out until 5.20 instead of 3. 
Darkness set in almost as soon as we got out into 
the North River and I had a fine view of the N. Y. 
sky-line lighted up and the statue of Liberty as we 
steamed down the Bay. 

The first two days were fine — weather bright and 
clear and the sea comparatively calm. Since Sun- 
day, however, the weather has been very rough and 
stormy with the exception of yesterday, when the 
sea was the only thing which was in any way un- 
comfortable. Tuesday and Wednesday the waves 
were from 18 to 25 feet high and we rolled about 
like a cork. I have not been absolutely seasick 
but have felt anything but good and consequently 
the trip has not been as pleasant as it might have 
otherwise been. 



40 WAR LETTERS 

The crowd on board is a very sociable one and 
I have made a few friends. 

Yesterday I had my money changed into French, 
— 5 francs to the dollar. One franc is really equal 
to about $.195 U. S. currency. The centimes (100 
to the franc) are the most confusing to me, but I 
guess I'll get accustomed to it. 

This letter I will mail on board before disembark- 
mg to-morrow morning, and can use U. S. postage 
on it, as it goes back on the ship of this line which 
is due to sail for N. Y. on Saturday. I will write 
another letter as soon as I can after reaching Paris. 

We passed very few vessels on the way over. 
To-day we have passed a few in the Channel, but 
thus far have seen no war-ships. I hope we donH 
see any German ones. The Channel is mined a 
good deal and I believe there will be a pilot on 
board before we get near the mouth of the Seine to 
take us into port. 

Since Tuesday we have encountered quite a num- 
ber of short snow-flurries and the snow was as hard 
as hail. To-day is rather a rainy-looking one. At 
meals I have sat with three men. One is an amus- 
ing elderly character from Maine — in the shoe and 
leather business, another is a pleasant middle-aged 
man from the West (I don't know his business but 
believe it is jewelry he is interested in) and the 
third is a very sociable Briton — more French than 
Briton, who is a chemist and civil engineer and is 
returning to France to join the army like a great 
many other American-French. He lives near N. Y. 



EDMOND GENET 41 

He has been the interpreter for the three of us and 
is very interesting with his stories of Paris and 
descriptions of France. He is very well educated 
and speaks 7 different languages. The four of us 
have gotten along mighty well together. 

There are more women and young ladies on board 
than I expected to find. I have played the piano 
for them at odd times, but the instrument is a poor 
one and hard to play on with any degree of feeling. 
Altogether the passengers form a pleasant lot. 

It is now about 5.30 and we are not yet in sight 
of land. It may possibly be quite late to-night 
before we come near Havre. 

Please, please don't worry about me, dear Mother. 
I will get along somehow and with God's help will 
come out near the top some time. I've got to take 
things as they come to me now and work out the best 
plan I can. This war will end some day and when 
it does there will be lots of openings and opportuni- 
ties in France. The early bird always catches the 
worm you know and I'm over here to be the early 
bird. 

"So long Thy power has blest me, sure it still will 
lead me on." 

I have to smile when I think of myself going to 
Europe with one light suitcase — on my nerve. 
Most people lug along a couple of dozen trunks and 
a lot of other things and then only stay two or three 
months. I surely am going "on my nerve." I 
guess I have plenty of that. 

I rather believe all the folks were very much 



42 WAR LETTERS 

surprised when they received my letters of fare- 
well. 

It is now near eleven o'clock. I am going to turn 
in shortly but first want to let you know that I 
expect to have a definite place to go to at first in 
Paris. The three gentlemen whom I have befpre 
spoken of (my dinner friends) and I have been hav- 
ing a sociable chat all evening in the smoking-room 
and M. Guerquin, the Frenchman who is going to 
join the troops is going to let me go with him to a 
small hotel which he is in the habit of going to when 
in Paris and where it is cheap but comfortable. He 
is an extremely pleasant man and I feel that I am 
in luck to have him take enough interest in me to 
look after me and help get fixed in Paris. I have 
not yet told him of my intentions to try to join the 
troops myself but intend to before next Monday. 
There is a possible chance that he may be able to 
help me that way also. I have no fear that I will 
have much trouble in getting along, dear Mother, 
and will let you know as often as possible how I am 
and what I am doing. I will write more in the 
morning. 

Morning 1/29/15. 
It is about 8 and I am all packed and prepared 
to disembark when we get in. That will not be 
until about 10 o'clock. Will probably catch the 
11 o'clock train to Paris. I got up early this morn- 
ing thinking we would be in by now but the vessel 
has been delayed somewhat. ... 



EDMOND GENET 43 

Most people go to America to win their fortune. 
I am going to Europe and win it I will if there is 
such a feat possible — God helping me. 

With love to you and all. 



Cie P. L. M. Buffet de Paris. 

3rd February, 1915. 

Evening— 8.30. 

My darling little Mother, 

This afternoon I enlisted in the "Legion Etran- 
gere " of the French army for the war. I am on my 
way to Lyons, where I will be for from 6 weeks to 
perhaps three months drilling and learning French 
war tactics, etc., before being sent to the front to 
display my powers and nerve before the Germans. 
I wrote Rivers a letter about noon to-day at the 
hotel where I have been staying, the Hotel de 
Moscou, 10 Cite Bergere. 

You probably know all about the cablegrams 
Rivers has been sending me to come back and the 
two I sent to him. I am pretty much in the dark 
about exactly why he has been sending for me. I 
surely wouldn't have come over here just to give 
up and return as soon as I arrived. IVe displayed 
nerve enough to quit the service and come here and 
push my way into the French service and I surely 
believe I can keep on and get through. I did not 
find it at all diflScult to join. My passport was the 
only paper I showed and it proved to be the only 
one required. I needed no birth certificate or con- 
sent of parents (being twenty-one, which my pass- 



44 WAR LETTERS 

port showed) nor did I have to show any certificate 
of morality. 

The Legion Etrangere is a part of the French 
army founded by Napoleon for all foreigners wish- 
ing to serve for France. There are Italians, Amer- 
icans, English (born in France) and many other 
nationalities in it — all under one regimental flag 
but all for the "Tricolor." We are French soldiers 
but not French citizens. 

This letter will very likely go across on the 
Rochambeau which is due to sail from Havre on 
Saturday. I hope by next Tuesday you will receive 
my letter written before I arrived last Friday. 
The Frenchman of whom I speak in that letter 
whom I met on board the vessel proved a mighty 
good and a mighty helpful friend to me. He guided 
me from Havre to Paris and took me to the Hotel 
de Moscou where he always stays when in Paris 
and showed me different parts of Paris and how 
to get around and also gave me most of the informa- 
tion I needed to know exactly what to do to enlist. 
Ralph G. Guerquin is his name and he lives on 
Long Island about 22 miles from N. Y. He is a 
mechanical engineer and chemist and a very well- 
educated gentleman. His English is slightly broken 
but very good. 

I also have quite a good friend in Norman Prince, 
one of the first Americans to try aviation. He is a 
rich young fellow — about 25 I should judge, and 
very quick and sensible. He came over on the 
Rochambeau and is entering the French aviation 



EDMOND GENET 45 

corps. He will have some exciting experiences I 
feel sure. 

I also made friends with a very distinguished 
American — Mr. Henry J. Furber, Jr., a lawyer of 
Chicago and Republican candidate of that city for 
mayor. He is a wonderfully fine and well-educated 
man — delightful to talk to and a fine friend to have. 
I consider I have been mighty lucky in my friends, 
don't you, dear Mother ? 

Please don't be angry with me, dear Mother, for 
not returning. I will get along and God is surely 
with me. I feel it. I'm in this game to win the 
very best there is in it and some day I'll be back 
and surprise you all. 

Sunday afternoon I found an American Church, 
the Church of the Holy Trinity, and went to the 
5 o'clock service. It was simple but I enjoyed it 
very very much. Mother, if I am taken in battle 
and you hear of it, which you will, will you have a 
little service or something like that and in it sing 
hymn 621 ? The choir sang it at the Church Sunday 
and I think it is beautiful and so fitting for those in 
this war. I suppose the hymns all have the same 
numbers in the Episcopal hymnal. 621 is the hymn. 

My train leaves for Lyons at 10 o'clock. It is 
about 9.15 now. I am alone with my papers. 
My transportation of course is free. Soldiers travel 
free in the country when they are on duty. I am 
due at Lyons at 7.38 to-morrow morning but it 
will probably be later when I get there. Most all 
trains run late these times. 



46 WAR LETTERS 

I have seen quite a bit of Paris in the short time 
I have been here and, 'though it is pretty quiet now 
during the war I have enjoyed myself walking 
around and seeing all I could. I even visited Notre 
Dame. 

As soon as I can I will write from Lyons and let 
you know an address so you can write to me. It 
will cheer me up wonderfully to hear from you and 
Rivers and Rod and any others who will write. 



February 7th, 1915. 

Address: — ler, fitrangere, 5e Compagnle, 

Depot des 2e et 3e regiments de marche, 

Lyons, France. 

Correspondance Militaire. 

This is the first chance I have had to write since 
I wrote you Wednesday morning, the 3rd, in the 
station at Paris before taking the train for here. 
I arrived here about 8 the morning of the 4th, and 
am in a barracks — really a school now used by the 
troops for quarters. I hope to be sent out to a 
camp of the regiment in a week or so which is near 
here. This is only temporary — until I learn a little 
about drilling, etc. 

Yesterday I was fitted out in my uniform — 
tight dark-blue jacket, bright-red trousers and cap 
and light-blue overcoat. When we go out to the 
front our red trousers will be replaced by blue ones. 
The red prove to be too good targets for Ger- 
man rifles. I feel rather tight and strange in this 
garb after wearing the loose sailor uniforms but 



EDMOND GENET 47 

guess I will soon become used to it. To-morrow we 
are to go out to drill for the first time. There are 
recruits arriving all the time from Paris. To-day 
a pleasant young American arrived. He is a doc- 
tor by profession and comes from Buffalo. He has 
been with the Red Cross since October but gave that 
up to join the troops to fight. Neither of us are 
very competent with our French and we're mighty 
glad to have each other's company. There are 
quite a number who speak English here though and 
I am getting along fairly well. I find it hard to 
grasp French — it is spoken so fast by those who 
know and speak it, I hope I'll get on to it before long. 
Most people think the war will be brought to an 
end by next summer and by then I hope to be thor- 
oughly competent in speaking French and, providing 
I am well and alive, will look up some position either 
in France, England, or probably the good old 
United States if I think it will be safe to return 
there. I am not sure about that, dear Mother, but 
all that will come later. 

I hope it will not be more than a month or six 
weeks before I will be marching out to the front 
and join in the real fighting. I did not come over 
here to lie around a barracks or a recruit camp 
until the war ends. 

I am going to try to write to Rivers before the 
week is very far advanced and to Rod, also, but 
send them my address anyway in case you get this 
before they hear from me so they can both write 
me long letters as well as yourself. I don't expect 



48 WAR LETTERS 

to get much time to write and my letters will very 
likely be few and short but the love is there just 
the same, dear Mother, and I am thinking of you 
all alwaj^s. God bless you all. I know I am a 
mighty wayward son but I can't help it. Mother 
dear. My heart is mighty big and my love strong 
and full. Some day I'll be back to prove it to you 
all. Tell Rivers to explain everything about the 
Georgia affair to me. I am pretty much in the dark 
about it and want to know what it was all about. 



Camp Valbonne, 20th February, 1915. 
Premier. Depot des 2eme et Seme regiments 
de marche, Lyons, France. 
Correspondance Militaire. 

Just a month ago to-day I left little old New 
York on the Rochamheau. I am now at Camp 
Valbonne, the training-camp of the Legion Etran- 
gere, just about 25 miles from Lyons. It is at one 
side of a large flat plain and a fine place for such 
a camp. This time of the year, though, there is a 
great deal of rain and the ground therefore is damp 
& muddy. To-day it is pouring outside. We live 
in long wooden houses divided into sections of 23 
men each and the quarters are fairly comfortable. 
We sleep on straw mattresses with two good large 
and warm blankets to keep off the cold. I find 
sleeping fairly easy and comfortable — far better 
than it will be when I get out to the front and in 
the trenches or anywhere on the bare ground. We 
drill a good deal and march and have target prac- 



EDMOND GENET 49 

tice with the rifles and do everything connected 
with fighting, even to trench-digging once a week. 
Last Saturday in Lyons I had my first inoculation 
for typhoid prevention and there is another this 
afternoon and for two successive Saturdays also. 
I am feeling well except for a slight cold. That 
does not worry me. 

Last Wednesday a detachment of us left Lyons 
and came here and I believe we shall be here until 
the last of March or the early part of April from 
present reports. It will be a good time to go out 
to the front because now is the rainy season and 
by the time Spring starts the war will pick up in 
earnest and the real fighting will commence. There 
are nearly or about 3,000 men here preparing to go 
out. 

You know of the young American doctor I spoke 
of in my last letter whom I made friends with in 
Lyons and who is in this regiment ? He comes here 
next Wednesday. We have become mighty good 
comrades and are hoping to be able to keep to- 
gether through the war. While I was in Lyons we 
went about a good deal together. Last Sunday we 
took a long walk about the outskirts of Lyons and 
he treated me to a fine dinner in one of the best 
hotels there in the evening. The following day his 
wife came on from Paris where she was with him 
while he was there, and Tuesday evening he sent 
me down to the hotel to meet and have dinner with 
her. He was unable to take me on account of 
guard duty. He is 32 and looks to be 24, and his 



50 WAR LETTERS 

wife is extremely pleasant and ladylike, and I had 
a very pleasant visit with her. She was doing 
nurse work in the military hospitals around Paris 
while Dave was out in one of the hospitals near 
the front doing surgical work. He surely is a fine 
fellow. He has done a great deal of hunting and 
camping up through Canada and is a thorough 
out-of-doors man. We are both mighty glad we 
came together and I only hope we can keep to- 
gether. 

I am sending all my letters now without stamps 
because in France all military men can do so with 
all their mail and I am trusting that the French 
military stamps will carry any letter through the 
U. S. mails. They go to England without stamps 
and, although the U. S. is not one of the Allies I 
should think that a French military stamp would 
be accepted there anyway. 

I am finding it very difficult to talk and under- 
stand French, but am in hopes that I will be able 
to get on to it before many weeks. Unless I know 
French I cannot, of course, get any rank in the 
regiment, so it's up to me to learn the lingo. 

There are a few Americans here and quite a 
number of others who speak English a little. The 
officers are pretty good — those that are commis- 
sioned, but the petty ones are a poor lot. Dave 
Wheeler and I thought over about changing to the 
English army (it could be done) but, although one 
is better treated and better paid and we wouldn't 
have the language to contend with, we would most 



EDMOND GENET 51 

likely have to go to England to learn drilling and 
once we got there it might be four or six months 
before we were sent back to France and to the 
front. There we would be put in one of the poor- 
est regiments, while now we are in one of France's 
best and have a better chance to learn French and 
that is really what I am after. Here, too, we have 
the opportunity to get to the front within six weeks 
or so. We decided it was best to stick it out in 
this army even if we weren't very adept with our 
French. He can spit it out better than I can but 
he has a hard time with it too. 

The food is pretty good and there is enough of 
it except meat. I have always been used to a 
good deal of meat and the two small pieces each 
day seem hardly suflScient. After I got used to 
the bread issued I have gotten to rather like it. 
One can scarcely expect very excellent food in such 
an army in war times. 

God bless you. Mother dear. No boy could 
ever have a better mother than I have and no son 
loves his mother more than I do mine. 

Camp Valbonne, 
February 28, 1915. 

Some time this week I am earnestly hoping that 
quite a bit of mail will arrive from you all. I am 
becoming mighty anxious to hear from you. 

Except for a slight cold I am feeling well and am 
only fretting for the time to come when I shall get 
out of here and to the front. We have a good 



52 WAR LETTERS 

many marches here — from four to five every week 
and plenty of target practice and sham battles. 
Altogether it is rather enjoyable and interesting. 
This last week has been quite cold and we had 
some snow. To-day it looks more like rain by the 
afternoon. 

Last Wednesday Dave Wheeler and three Eng- 
lishmen arrived from Lyons with the batch of 
recruits sent that day and they are all in the 
Fourth Company while I am in the Second. If 
possible I am going to get in with them. The 
Fourth is the better company and they all seem to 
be sure that they will be sent to the front by the 
15th of March and those in this company know 
nothing about going out that soon. Anyway I 
want to get with Dave and we are hoping it can 
be arranged this week. The three Englishmen 
are very pleasant and it will be much nicer if we 
can all hang together. 

There has been talk that the Legion fitrangere 
will be sent to help take Constantinople and go 
off very soon, but most discredit that rumor. The 
combined French and English fleets are going to 
seize that city and it would be a mighty interest- 
ing and exciting campaign to take part in and I 
really would not be disappointed if the government 
sent us there instead of to the German campaign. 
As long as we get sent out soon it will be all right 
to me — wherever we go. 



EDMOND GENET 53 

Premier Regiment Etranger, 2^me Compagnie. 

Depot de la 3eme Compagnie, 

Lyons, Rhone, France. 

March 18th, 1915. 

My dear Rod, 

This next Saturday with about 900 others I leave 
here for the front. It has only been about six 
weeks since I enlisted and I think I have been 
very lucky to be going out so soon. I left Camp 
de La Valbonne last Tuesday. We came here to 
receive the final fixings to our outfit and the new 
rifles issued to all preparatory to going to the 
front. We sure are mighty glad to be going out 
and I am not the least of the joyful ones. ' 

The days are getting warm and pleasant now 
and Spring is here all right. On the marches we 
took while at Valbonne I saw the first flowers of 
Spring, We are surely going out at a good time 
and the fighting is beginning to pick up after the 
winter's trench-work and we all expect to be in 
some lively times within the coming two months. 
The war may be over by June or July. 

There is one other American fellow with me and 
I expect we shall meet quite a good many more 
out at the front in other detachments of the Legion. 
There sure is some collection of people in this out- 
fit. I think I have met every nationality except 
Chinese, Indians and Hindus. There are even 
German Jews in it, and many of them can only 
speak German. How they get taken in I can't 
imagine but they are here just the same and most 
of them are lazy and good-for-nothing. German 



54 WAR LETTERS 

is a harsh enough language to hear but when a 
Jew speaks it it sure sounds ridiculous. 

The knapsack and blanket, etc., we have to carry 
about on our backs is some big and heavy. Our 
rifle is all right though. The French use the La 
Belle, 1886. It has a magazine something like the 
Winchester — beneath the barrel, and holds 8 shells 
in the magazine with a cut-off so that the rifle can 
be fired by single shells injected apart from the 
magazine. It is not as good or as complete as our 
new Springfield rifle but it isn't very bad either. 
The bayonet is long and needle-shaped. The bul- 
let is solid copper and a trifle larger and heavier 
than the German one. I was able to do some 
pretty good shooting at the camp so I guess I can 
hold my own at the front. I'll do my best anyway. 
It will be kill or be killed and I'm not exactly will- 
ing to depart from this tranquil ( ? ?) life just yet. 

Do write to me. Rod., and tell me how you are 
getting along. Best best luck, dear Brother, and 
lots of love. 

Se Regiment Marche. Premier Etranger, 

ler Bataillon, 4eme Compagnie. 

Secteur postal 115, France. 

March 24th, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

Last Saturday noon we left Lyons for here — the 
front. That is as much as I can tell you of my 
whereabouts from now on except that I am in the 
north of France. It is strictly against rules to men- 
tion either where one is or anything about the fight- 



EDMOND GENET 55 

ing. The Captain has to read all letters sent out 
and he destroys those which may reveal anything 
to be kept secret. I am in a small village which 
is almost on the main line of trenches and only about 
two miles from the German lines. The reports 
of the guns on the line are very distinct and were all 
the twenty-two miles we had to walk yesterday 
morning from the town where we left the train on 
Monday. Even during the night I heard an occa- 
sional boom although I enjoyed the best sleep I 
have had since leaving La Valbonne. To go back 
to where I started — Lyons, a strange thing hap- 
pened just before I left there on the train. While 
waiting at the depot I was handed three letters. 
It sure cheered me up to get them especially at 
the very time of departure for the front when I 
had no one to bid good-by to. 

The trip up here by train lasted from noon Satur- 
day to early on Monday morning when we arrived 
at a small town 22 miles southwest of here and 
slept over that night there in a large barn. Just 
after we landed there we sighted a German aero- 
plane high up but it passed westward and out of 
sight. It was our first taste of war. I have seen 
three French ones around here since. Guess it 
won't be long before I'll see aero fights and every- 
thing else. To-morrow we go out for five days at 
the trenches, after that we have five days' work, 
digging trenches if there are any to be dug. And 
then five days of complete rest and so on. The 
danger starts to-morrow. 



56 WAR LETTERS 

All the way on the train we were treated fine. 
At almost every stop we were served coffee, wine or 
bouillon and bread, etc., by Red Cross nurses and 
all that was in addition to the regular rations issued 
to us. We sang and really had a great time. We 
changed trains for the north very near Paris, but 
did not see the city itself. The weather has been 
fine and I was really surprised to find all along the 
trip out how beautiful and picturesque the country 
is. 

(The bang-bangs of the guns at the line are very 
plain here — I hear them now.) 

Surely the women of France are doing their share 
in the war. They all were so nice to us the way out. 
Every station seems to have two or more of them 
with things to feed the soldiers as they pass on their 
way to the front or the wounded as they pass on 
their way to the hospitals. How many, many of 
them are facing bullets just to help us when we are 
wounded ! Surely they are to be honored as well 
as the men who do the actual fighting. 

Lydon, my American comrade, was with me all 
the way from Lyons but he has been placed in 
some other company here yesterday and possibly 
one of the 2nd battalion and thus far I have been 
unable to locate him although he must be around 
here somewhere. It seems utterly impossible for 
me to permanently get with any of the comrades I 
want to. First Wheeler is left at La Valbonne and 
now Lydon is put in some other company. If we 
were together and one of us is wounded— or worse — 



EDMOND GENET 57 

the other could let his people know of it and help 
him in lots of other ways. Such seems to be im- 
possible. There are two or three I have met in the 
company here who speak English and from them I 
have learned some of the ins and outs of the fight- 
ing and what to do and expect and what not to. 
Now that the rainy season is pretty well over the 
trench fighting will not be such a terrible hardship 
as those who have been here through the winter say 
it was. One has to keep "below decks" to save his 
life though and the worst fear is from bombs, etc. 

Good-by for this time, darling little Mother. 
Last night I stopped in the Church which is in the 
village and asked God to help me to be a man and a 
Christian — even to my foes and to give me strength 
and courage to win in this war and come back to do 
my part to make your lives happy and free from 
care and trouble. We all believe in God but there 
are only a few who really are not afraid to show it. 



Se Regiment Marche. Premier Etranger, 
ler Bataillon, 4e Compagnie. 
Secteur postal 115, France. 
March 26th, 1915. 

My dear Rivers, 

You never before received a letter quite like this 
because it is being written in the very front line of 
the trenches, with bullets singing and hissing all 
around, and "Les Allemands" (The Germans) in 
their trenches not 400 metres away. I am seated 
in a small "dugout" underneath the outer trench 



58 WAR LETTERS 

wall (where we sleep — three or four, or more, as the 
size of the place may allow, while we are off duty). 
There is straw on the ground and it is really quite 
warm and comfortable, though crowded. 

On account of regulations I cannot tell you where 
on the line I am, and also very little concerning the 
movements of the troops, etc., but I'll tell as much 
as I possibly can and you'll have to just imagine 
the rest. 

I left Lyons last Saturday noon and, after leav- 
ing the train at a small town, within twenty-two 
miles of the line, early Monday and staying there 
over that night, we marched the rest of the dis- 
tance the following morning to another small ham- 
let about two miles back of here which is the base 
of the regiment in these parts. 

I have just been outside and watching the French 
firing at a German aeroplane. Earlier this morn- 
ing I saw the reverse. One sees the little puffs of 
white smoke burst out around the plane in the blue 
of the sky and a second or so later comes the dull 
boom of the report. Thus far I've seen no aero- 
plane fights. Even firing one's rifle at the trenches 
opposite is far, far from being now-dangerous. 
(Just now I hear the incessant crackling of a French 
mitrailleuse — it sounds like a pack of mandarin 
firecrackers going off.) In the daytime one cannot 
put his head up over the top of the trench — he 
fires through the port-holes and has to do it quick 
or have his face smashed by the return fire of the 
watchful enemy. We watch the opposite trenches 



EDMOND GENET 59 

by means of the periscopical glasses through which 
one can see when below the top of the trench. In 
the night, firing is a trifle different and in many ways 
more dangerous. A more careful watch has to be 
maintained all the time. Then we fire over the 
top of the trench at any flash of an enemy's rifle and 
they, of course, do the same. One has to take the 
99 chances of being either seen when he puts his 
head up or of being hit by a stray bullet because the 
firing never ceases and bullets are hissing and 
ripping the air all about. Besides all this there are 
the bombs bursting over the trenches and sending 
their little missiles of death screaming down at you. 

The French " soixante-quinze " (75) is the big 
gun which is doing the wonderful work. They've 
got the ranges down so that they can tip the shells 
right into the German trenches. The French 
surely are away ahead of the Germans in artillery 
fire. 

Being "under fire" is no joke, dear Brother, even 
if it is mighty exciting and perhaps interesting as 
well. We have five days of it at a time, going back 
to the "base" for five days' rest. I believe we go 
back on the 29th. Each one of those five days gives 
one 5 X 24 X 60 X 60 X 1,000 or more chances to be 
killed in and one isn't sleeping very much of that 
time either. 

Yesterday it was slightly rainy when we reached 
the trenches but the moon was bright at night and 
to-day is glorious. It is the dark, cloudy, stormy 
nights that will be the watchful ones and those who 



60 WAR LETTERS 

have been here through the winter say they have 
had some mighty hard times with the water almost 
to their thighs and the bitter cold to contend with 
besides all the danger. 



3e Regiment Marche. Premier Stranger, 

ler Bat., 4eme Compagnie. 

Seeteur postal 101, France. 

April 5th, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

I was in the trenches from late Thurs. afternoon, 
March 25th, until late on Sunday the 28th, — only 
three days so far. The following Tuesday our de- 
tachment — 3e Regiment Marche — left where it is 
(or where I am now) and came (most of the way in 
large auto-buses) south to this postal seeteur (101) 
back of the 2nd line where we are having a rest 
and may be here a month or six weeks. 

Yours and Rivers' letters (the 1st ones written) 
sure did make me feel pretty downhearted and mis- 
erable — I felt like an outcast from everything and 
everywhere. I have sort of let things settle in my 
mind since and they don't appear quite as bad. 
Of course there is the loss of citizenship, but I knew 
that would result although believed it could be 
regained easier than Rivers evidently believes. 
As you say, my record here in France will or may 
help a good deal and the fact that I was under 
age. Never mind, dear Mother, things will pass 
out all right in time. If I could live my life over 
again it would be very different from what it has 



EDMOND GENET 61 

been. I would never have lost these 2 years out 
of school, never tried for the Academy at all, and 
spent all the money for a short college term for 
mechanical engineering or naval architecture or 
the like and never have been in the Navy at all; 
but "it is as it is" so let's look on the brightest 
side possible and take things as they come. I am 
glad that those letters came, as now I know exactly 
how things were in regard to the "G." 

You calculated very well because yesterday was 
Easter and your letter of the 19th with the cards 
from you and Aunt F. which pleased me very 
much. Mother dear, came to-day, just the day 
after Easter. 

I slept late yesterday morning — until about ten 
and spent the day quietly. In the afternoon, 
Lydon, the young fellow from Boston, and two 
other English-speaking fellows, one from 'Frisco, 
played *' Bridge." It was a rainy day and it has 
been rainy since Saturday morning. Last Easter 
I spent in Ossining on my first leave from the 
Training Station at Newport. Some difference this 
one! I thought of my little Mother so far away 
and wished I could be going to Church with her. 

The adjutant of this company was at Valbonne 
while I was there and came out with us and he has 
been mighty pleasant and kind to me. He speaks 
just a little English and the other day he presented 
me with an English-French translation book. I 
am progressing with French but very slowly. I 
am poor at memorizing words. 



62 WAR LETTERS 

Thanks very much for the newspaper clippings — 
especially the one about the Georgia. I am not 
surprised to find that Mexico is starting to boil 
over again but was surprised to hear that the 
Georgia was ordered there. Naval plans have all 
been turned around for this year. 

You recall my speaking of Dave Wheeler being 
with me at Lyons and La Valbonne. Two weeks 
ago he came out with a large detachment from the 
camp and joined us. He is in the 3rd company 
1st battalion and so is very near me. We are with 
each other practically every night and take walks 
together. Last Sunday evening we went out into 
the woods beside a pretty stream near here and 
had a camp-fire, a feast with coffee which I made 
quite a success in making. He is a thorough out- 
of-doors fellow, having hunted and hiked through a 
big part of Canada and besides is a gentleman and 
a mighty fine fellow. If something happens to me 
and you don't hear for a long time write to him. 
If anything happens to me though he'll probably 
write anyway, the same as I would write to his 
wife if something happened to him. 

We are in a different place from where we were 
when I last wrote, a very pretty place farther south. 
We left the other town early last week. We're still 
on the repose and when we'll get out to the front 
again is very indefinitely known thus far. 

Before I started to write this I had just finished 
taking a good bath in the cool water of the stream 



EDMOND GENET 63 

which runs through the place and afterward I 
sewed up the torn places in my blue outer trousers. 
We no longer wear red trousers but have brown or 
some other dark-colored ones and blue light over- 
trousers on top. They are serving out gray over- 
coats in place of the blue ones also. . . . 

Many thanks for the Cross. I've put it in the 
testament — the Crucifixion — St. John. I always 
liked St. John more than the other three. . . . 

The trees and foliage are fast putting on their 
green coats and the days are wonderful. I sup- 
pose, though, that it is the same back in the States. 
I've picked violets and buttercups and daisies just 
as I used to in old Ossining. They are just the 
same here as there only there it is home — a big, big 
difference to me. Well, I hope to be there again 
some day. Mother dear, with you and the boys. 
I'm not looking for a souvenir **made in Germany." 
You know what that is. 

Your loving son, 

Edmond. 



3e Regiment Marche. Premier Stranger, 

ler Bat., 4eme Compagnie. 

Secteur postal 101, France. 

May 9th, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

We are all getting rather weary of this repose, 
especially Dave Wheeler and I and hope it will 
terminate very shortly. There is a good deal of 
talk about our being detailed for service in Turkey 



64 WAR LETTERS 

and we sure would be decidedly glad (overjoyed in 
fact) if such did come about. 'Though it would no 
doubt be terribly hot there 'twould be seeing more 
of the world and that sure is better than staying in 
one country all the time. 

In yesterday's paper was the startling news that 
the Lusitania has been torpedoed and sunk by the 
Germans, with many wealthy and prominent 
Americans aboard. I have only learned a few facts 
of the story as I did not get a chance to buy a 
paper to read it myself but hope to get one of to- 
day's which probably will contain a more complete 
account. It sounds startling enough and if true 
what action will the States take? I was wonder- 
ing over that question on guard last night. Surely 
when the Germans torpedo ships which are un- 
armed and carrying peaceful and neutral passen- 
gers of the U. S. that country ought to do consid- 
erable at once. 

It is against the rules of international warfare 
nowadays for troops to attack a defenseless town 
unoccupied by hostile troops even though it be a 
hostile town, so surely it is just as much if not more 
against such rules for a nation to torpedo an un- 
armed ship of a nation even though it be a ship of 
the enemy. If all I've heard is true about this 
affair let's see what our present administration will 
do now. 

Two days ago I received a very nice letter from 
an old shipmate on the Georgia to whom I wrote 
while in La Valbonne. He is the Canteen Yeoman, 



EDMOND GENET 65 

Joe Tackas by name, from Brooklyn. They are 
in Vera Cruz, or were when he wrote it on March 
29th, doing just what we were doing a year ago — 
watching, waiting, and enjoying a peaceful time in 
the meanwhile. From what he says I don't believe 
any of the friends I made on board think any the 
less of me for coming over here as I did. Navy 
men don't look at that particular point in just the 
same light as do outsiders. They usually "under- 
stand." I wish my dear little Mother could under- 
stand in just the same way but it is practically im- 
possible for me to explain adequately. 

Possibly the Georgia will not be present at the 
mobilization in N. Y. in June if Daniels holds her 
at Vera Cruz, but most likely the Virginia will be 
present and I sure hope you will get an opportunity 
to see Mr. Pearce then. 

May 25th, 1915. 

We have 6 days on the line and 6 days repose 
alternating with the other Battalion. There wasn't 
much excitement while we were out on the line. 
We were shelled a couple of times with no damage 
resulting. The weather is holding fine and I feel 
pretty fine. I even think I am gaining in weight. 
I've already become sunburned quite a bit by 
working under the hot sun with only my light sleeve- 
less undershirt on above my waist. 

Another fellow of my squad, from Colombia, 
S. America (he speaks English) and myself are 
sleeping together in a tent out-of-doors and enjoy- 



66 WAR LETTERS 

ing it considerably. It bids fair to be unendurably 
hot in this country by the time July comes, con- 
sidering the warmth at the present time. 

I am sending you some pretty little "Forget-me- 
nots" (I think that is what they are) with this 
letter. Very appropriate, n'est-ce pas? I picked 
them in a private garden of a chateau which is near 
the line and entirely destroyed by former shell- 
fire. They are the first of that flower I've ever 
seen growing. There is a very large bed of them 
there — white and blue ones. I have also seen many 
patches of "Periwinkle" growing wild in the woods 
we have passed through. They are the first I've 
seen since the little bed we had of them at the old 
home. Dad used to like to wear one or two in 
his buttonhole for Church, I remember, and I used 
to watch for them to come out early in the Spring — 
around Easter-time. 

What do you think of me finding 27 four-leaf 
clovers yesterday morning ? I hope they bring me 
lots of luck. I never could find four-leaf clovers 
in the States and I'm always picking them up 
over here. There are wonderful fields of clover here 
anyway. There is one field near here that is just 
red with the blossoms now and it sure is pretty. 
What fine fields for herding cows upon for good 
milk and yet, on account of the land being needed 
so much for agricultural purposes, the country 
people keep their cows in the barns as a general 
rule practically all the time. 



EDMOND GENET 67 

Poor is mighty hard at work over her 

studies to graduate in June and go to college next 
term but she is mighty enthusiastic over me fight- 
ing the "disease'* (the Germans, including the 
Kaiser, have been very correctly called that) and 
she (though it sounds foolish to me) says I am one 
of the finest men she has ever met, etc., etc., 
etc. ! ! ! Some girl ! 

She wrote part of her letter in French and I spent 
an hour or so vainly endeavoring to write only one 
paragraph of my reply in the "blamed lingo." 
She'll be capable of becoming an expert detective if 
she can ferret out the mystery of that French which 
I wrote. It's hard enough to talk but — well, I'd 
rather not express my ideas about its being written. 

I do wish you and Rivers could get a little apart- 
ment or something like one, as you said. Do try 
to do it, Mother, as it will be much better for you 
both. 

You may, no doubt, be interested to know that I 
have the "Stars and Stripes" flying at the forward 
peak of the tent. With me (from the States) on 
one side and the young fellow from Colombia, S. 
America, on the other it surely is an American 
camp. N'est-ce pas.^ We call the part between 
our blankets the Isthmus of Panama. (The Canal 
is remarkably absent.) 



68 WAR LETTERS 

Seme Regiment marclie. Premier Etranger, 

ler Bat., 4eme Compagnie. 

Secteur postal 101, France. 

May 26th, 1915. 

My dear old Bill, 

It had been in my mind for the past two weeks 
to answer your letter of April 6th which came some 
time ago and now that your mighty acceptable letter 
of May 9th came yesterday it sure is up to me to 
make good my intentions and try and pencil you 
a few lines. 

You notice the change of number of the postal 
secteur. Just after I wrote my last letter to you 
in "115" we left there to go farther south for about 
6 weeks of repose. The boys who have had all the 
hard winter of wet, cold trench fighting were badly 
in need of it and we all feel better for having had it. 
It wasn't altogether a complete repose as we had 
some trench-digging to do on the reserve lines and 
quite a good deal of drilling and the like but we 
were at least exempt from actual fighting which 
thus gave our nerves a rest that way. Neverthe- 
less none of us are sorry to be back on the firing- 
line again which we have been since the 11th. Of 
course, I cannot tell where I am but it is much 
farther south than we were before. By being away 
down here we are thus missing the severe fighting 
which is starting to break forth in the North but we 
all trust we'll see such before many weeks slip by. 
Now that "Europe's boot" (Italy) is in the war 
something ought to be doin' before long. When the 
news came the night before last of Italy declaring 



EDMOND GENET 69 

war every one along the line let loose with "Vive 
ritalie" and fired their rifles for all they were worth 
just to make a noise and even the big guns were let 
loose. 'Twas a thunderous acclamation, you may 
be sure. The Germans must have thought that 
the fiends of Hell were out. 

We have had quite a bit of artillery action about 
here and it sure is great to listen to the big guns 
barking, the hissing of the shells as they rush 
through the air, and their terrific burst off on the 
German lines. We've had our share of the shells 
of the "Bush" too. The other day we were all 
gathered around the "chow" and — swish-h-h, 
swish-h-h ! two German 77's came over our heads 
and struck a few hundred metres beyond. We lit 
out from that particular spot right smartly. About 
13 days ago while in a small village near the line 
we had about 20 shells land in it but no one was 
hurt very badly nor was there much damage done 
to the houses. 

I am afraid that I cannot tell you very much 
about the trenches because of regulations which 
are decidedly strict. They are dug very irregu- 
larly to prevent horizontal fire — that is, if the en- 
emy should get horizontally in line with part of a 
trench they could not sweep but a small part of it 
with gun-fire. The trenches are usually dug this 
way : — ^^ — """^^^^^^^^is^O- ^^ ^^^^ that in most any 
irregular line. There are "leaders" all over — 
trenches for entrance to the main line, etc. A sec- 
tion of trenches might be likened to a cobweb. In 



70 WAR LETTERS 

front of the trenches, between the two lines, are 
barb-wire entanglements and other impeding obsta- 
cles. Some parts of the two lines are as near each 
other as twenty-five metres (a metre is practically 
the same distance as a yard) and in other sections 
they are nearly a kilometre (about 60% of a mile). 
It all depends on the country and other minor dif- 
ferences. Trenches which have been used for a 
number of months like most of the main-line ones 
have here are quite comfortable. There are caves 
in the sides for sleeping quarters with hay inside and 
little fireplaces, etc., to add to the comfort. In rainy 
weather they are not so fine. The water is often 
over one's ankles and under the water is a half foot 
or more of slimy mud. You can readily imagine 
how extremely comfortable such conditions are. On 
the other hand when it hasn't rained for a few days 
everything is dry, hot, and decidedly dusty but of 
course that is much better than mud and dirty 
water. Life isn't so worse on the line though. It 
will be the open fighting which will tell on one's 
strength and nerves. 

The other day I read, in an English magazine, 
that some Lunacy expert stated that there are a 
number of lunatics who believe themselves to be 
the Kaiser. They are all wrong but one. N'est- 
ce pas ? I have come to the conclusion that I am 
fighting a "disease" headed by a lunatic, from all 
that the Germans have done. The recent Lusi- 
tania affair was about as fiendish a piece of business 
as could possibly be and I am waiting to see what 



EDMOND GENET 71 

the U. S. will do in regard to it. I understood 
yesterday that the Kaiser had not yet sent his 
reply to the President. There sure must have been 
some excitement in N. Y. and in fact everywhere 
in the States when the news of the disaster was 
ree'd. What next will the "disease" do? ! ! ! 



Se Regiment marche. Premier fitranger, 

ler Bat., 4eme Compagnie. 

Secteur postal 101, France. 

June 1st, 1915. 

My deak Star, 

This beautiful sunshiny month and day sure com- 
menced with a tremendous crash for us. I am in 
the trenches on the first line and this morning, early, 
the kindly horde "across the way" (our quarrel- 
some neighbors) gave us a royal breakfast of shells 
and shrapnel, mines and various other explosives 
destined to send one on a long, long journey should 
he unfortunately step in one's way. The "meal" 
has just been finished and the "remains" are being 
cleared away. Good God, but war is Hell-on- 
earth ! We have almost daily bombardments here 
but this has been the worst yet. Yesterday I was 
dodging 77 's for a while. 

Such is life on the firing-line, Jeannette, — no 
picnic. 'Tis grimly humorous. I wish I had a 
piano here. I'd soon drive the Germans back to 
their huts in Berlin. N'est-ce pas possible ? 

With "Europe's boot" (Italy) into the game 
now something ought to be doing mighty shortly. 



75 WAR LETTERS 

Up in the north things have begun to be pretty 
lively. The British forces are having their hands 
full practically all the time. Surely the German 
lines must drop back soon with all the pressure that 
is being laid on them. I still retain hopes that it 
will all be over by August or September. Many, 
though, believe it will last twelve or fifteen months 
more, but I doubt that a great deal. 

Is our noble country going to uphold its Ameri- 
can freedom and patriotism and show a strong 
forcible hand after all that has occurred so lately 
to give it provocation to do so ? The U. S. certainly 
has sufficient grounds for something more adequate 
than words and diplomatic controversy — action. 
It galls me every day I read the paper for news 
about the States, and find the administration is still 
bantering over the present crisis. Has all national 
pride faded, all patriotism gone ? 

And how is school these last months? I can 
hardly realize it is the first of June. All the schools 
will be closing soon for the summer vacation. Were 
I back in the old High School with my old class I'd 
be graduating — the Class of '15. I'd like to be 
back to see the old classmates get their "sheep- 
skins." Is this your last year, Jeannette ? 

I suppose you all have seen that busy little 
Mother of mine lately. 

They are banging away at some aeroplane out- 
side. I can hear the bombs bursting. It's a fas- 
cinating sight to see how close they come at times 
to the 'plane, but thus far I've never seen one 



EDMOND GENET 73 

hit. It must be just as pleasant as swimming in a 
pool of sharks and crocodiles to be up there with 
shrapnel bombs bursting — one doesn't know where 
they will burst. 

Will it be the country or the seashore this vaca- 
tion? I suppose the country with the cows, pigs, 
chickens, fresh eggs and milk and old clothes, 
won't it.f^ You'll practise your singing on an old 
stile or stone wall, and capture half a dozen delicate 
country hearts in the bargain. "I love the cows 
and chickens but — this is the life." 



3e Regiment marche. Premier fitranger, 

ler Bat., 4erae Compagnie. 

Secteur postal 101, France. 

June 2nd, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

Yesterday I received yours of the nineteenth — 
a mighty welcome, interesting and joy -giving letter 
it is too. 

Really, Mom, I'm getting to feel decidedly flat- 
tered all around — every one seems to be so en- 
thusiastic over me and my 1915 travels. I'm 
afraid I'm getting entirely too much credit but I 
am very happy to know that things are as you and 
Chaplain Pearce say in regard to the Georgia. I 
am slightly at a loss to determine exactly how things 
are so good. Somehow, Mother, I never seem to be 
lacking in friends (I mean ones other than my own 
dear Mother and brothers). Could or did ever a 
fellow have a better or dearer or more patient and 



74 WAR LETTERS 

loving Mother than have I, or kinder, better 
brothers? I doubt it with all my heart. . . . 

The day before yesterday the Germans bom- 
barded our section of the trenches (I am on the line) 
for about a half-hour with shrapnel and 77's. I 
was standing in the trench when the bombardment 
commenced and somehow the shells burst — first one 
to my right and then one to my left and so on and 
involuntarily I was dodging my head from one side 
to the other every time a shell burst — only a few 
metres to either side. That little rain of shells was 
nothing, though, to the welcome the Germans gave 
us yesterday morning early — the first day of beauti- 
ful June. For an hour steady they bombarded the 
line to the right of us, three towns back of us and 
blew up about five enormous mines. For that whole 
hour there was scarcely a lull between the bang- 
ing and booming of the guns being discharged, the 
hiss-hiss of the shells hurling through the air over 
our heads and the terrific crashing and banging of 
their explosions. It was the first big bombard- 
ment I've seen and it sounded like Hell let loose 
sure and certain. After the first few moments of 
surprise were over I found myself holding my cup- 
ful of coffee which I happened to be drinking at the 
time without a tremble. We all sat on the barri- 
cades and walls and watched the shells burst and 
the mines — great enormous discharges of earth and 
dense black smoke — as they burst up high into the 
air. I have been trying to think how to describe 
the sound of a shell as it goes through the air, and 



EDMOND GENET 75 

the best I can do is to say that it sounds not unHke 
the sound made when one puts the palm of his hand 
quickly over the open end of an iron pipe. One 
can easily tell in what direction a shell is going by 
the sound of its course through the air. There is 
a good deal of aerial resistance to a shell and, of 
course, the larger the shell, the greater the resistance 
and sound. Artillery fire is practically all we are 
having along this section of the line. We are con- 
siderably further south than where the late advance- 
ments have been made and hard fighting has oc- 
curred. The British troops and the northern 
French ones are getting all that and it's terrible too. 
The losses have been quite heavy there with re- 
gard to men. With Italy on her way "to Berlin" 
from the South, through Austria-Hungary there 
ought to be considerable doing in the very near 
future. Italy's declaration of war has certainly 
created a great deal of enthusiasm among all the 
troops. 

I see by yesterday's paper that the U. S. has re- 
ceived Germany's reply regarding the Lusitania 
affair and it has created anything but a favorable 
impression with the former country. I shouldn't 
think it would. Nor can I easily understand why 
we hold off from forcible action any longer. What, 
too, about the torpedoing of the Nebraskan? That 
seems to be entirely disregarded so far as I can see. 
Somehow it riles me — this continuous neutrality 
after such insults and degradations have been dis- 
played. Where is the real American pride and 



76 WAR LETTERS 

patriotism? Is it all like the flimsy white clouds 
we see on a clear day that vanish into nothingness ? 
Have we lost all our "Spirit of '76" or our "Spirit 
of '98?" Germany is a disease — not a civilized 
nation any more. 

You will very likely be relieved to know that we 
have been provided with a device to prevent us 
from being asphyxiated by the asphyxiating-gas 
bombs that the Germans are using quite frequently 
in this 20th Century international warfare. Civil- 
ized barbarity ! ! ! ! 

That was very nice of Mr. Pearce to invite you 
to the Virginia and show you around so thor- 
oughly. The Georgia was not present but still in 
picturesque Vera Cruz, I suppose. There are quite 
a number of my old Training Station mates aboard 
the Virginia. The fleet review and parades must 
have been very pretty and inspiring sights. I've 
done quite a bit of marching here in this country 
but we haven't even the "Long Roll" to stir our 
hearts and ease the blisters on our feet. Thus far 
I've only heard one military band and that was at 
a concert while we were in repose at one of the towns 
during early April. We used to whistle and sing 
and once in a while some one would drag forth a 
mouth-organ and play. Even such poor music as 
these helped us over the roads and made us forget 
the aches and pains. The "Marseillaise" is a 
wonderful marching song. It sort of lifts one along. 

I hope the fleet does get sent around to the 
Exposition for the men's sake but rather guess all 



EDMOND GENET 77 

the ships are being held within "easy reaching dis- 
tance" in case of trouble with the disease across 
the seas. "Preparedness" should be our country's 
watchword at the present time and, in fact, for 
some years to come. 

June 15th, 1915. 

Your letter of May 2£nd with the Fleet review 
news and the one of the 26th reached me last 
week. Many thanks for the clippings. Dave has 
them now. It surely must have been a big event — 
or rather a number of big events. The Georgia was 
present, I see. I thought she would still be at Vera 
Cruz on the watch for things which will never 
happen. The "boys" on board the ships sure must 
have had some fine times while on shore liberty. 
Did you see anything of the President during the 
parade in the city ? He received quite an ovation. 
I rather guess that his popularity has increased 
tremendously now that he is taking the firm stand 
he is against Germany, now that William Jennings 
is out of the game — oflScially. That delights me 
exceedingly — the tardy resignation of "our man of 
peace." 

The last few days we had in the trenches we were 
up about to our waists in mud and water. We had 
a very heavy rain one night and the trenches filled 
with water. It was misery in the tenth degree. 
The following morning there were quite a number 
killed and wounded just because they couldn't 
keep out of sight on account of the depth of the 



78 WAR LETTERS 

water while trying to clean it out and we all felt ut- 
terly down and out. So many became sick with bad 
colds, etc., that we had to be relieved and are now 
trying to regain our composure before going into 
the trenches again. I'm not exactly sick but I'm 
not feeling as well as I might either. I thank the 
good Lord I've a good strong constitution and some 
of that " stick-to-it-edness " which Mrs. Bradshaw 
(Donovan) used to tell her classes to cultivate. 
(I find the above-mentioned trait quite necessary, 
with nerve, to keep that bunch of fur addicted to my 
upper lip also. It's still growing — I believe.) 

June 21st, 1915. 

This is the year's longest day and I saw the sun 
rise gloriously and brilliant this morning at quarter 
to four. The days we're having lately are simply 
wonderful. 

It's funny how every morning, just about sunrise, 
that the sentinels of both sides have a morning's 
greeting to each other. Every one starts to crow 
like a rooster and once in a while some French 
soldier or a Boche will call across the field d'affaire, 
*'Bon jour," or some similar greeting. I guess it is 
the good weather that makes us all feel so sort of 
friendly (in that respect). 

I am eagerly looking for those letters and Class 
History you say the good old classmates are going 
to send me. It surely is mighty nice and thought- 
ful of them all to think of me in such a generous 
manner. They will all be graduating some day this 



EDMOND GENET 79 

week, I presume — probably on Thursday or Friday 
night. 

I managed to see Dave Wheeler for a short time 
yesterday afternoon (it is pretty diflScult to get to 
other parts of the trenches for visiting purposes 
but I managed it yesterday all right) and he and I 
are anxious to do some sort of Independence Day 
celebrating ourselves even though we will most 
likely be here in the trenches that day and not, 
as would better suit us for such an occasion, in 
repose back of the line. The only thing I can think 
of as possible is to wear my silk flag and make as 
much noise with my rifle throughout the day as 
possible, but we few Americans may be able to 
get together somehow for a little while that after- 
noon and add something else to the day's hilarity. 
We'll be as patriotic as possible under the circum- 
stances anyway. I'd like to blow up a few mines 
and have the artillery going all day, but in con- 
sideration of the fact that I am not the commander 
of this particular secteur and also after due con- 
templation of the disastrous effects to our noble 
enemy which, of course, would be unneutral-like 
and extremely discourteous to the aforementioned 
noble foe, I believe that such action will not be ad- 
hered to. Perhaps **Les Boches" will take it into 
their wooden tops to do a little celebrating of their 
own that day and bombard us as they do 'most 
every day. 

It seems almost too good to be true, dear Mother, 
that everything is 0. K. with me and the N. Dept. 



80 WAR LETTERS 

I do hope it is so and wish you or Rivers could find 
out to an absolute certainty and let me know. I 
never believed such an action would be taken by a 
ship's authorities. Was such action really taken 
by the "G." or by the Dept. itself.? Why should, 
or, rather, how could a good record offset "d'tion" 
is what is sticking in my mind. 

It surely was mighty hard luck that that brilliant 
young English aviator, Warneford, who so heroic- 
ally won the V. C. and the Legion d'Honneur only 
a little over a week ago by vanquishing a Zeppelin 
in Belgium, should have been killed a couple of 
days ago when flying with that American journal- 
ist, Needham. I have often been wondering how 
Norman Prince, the young American aviator whom 
I met on board the Rochamheau and who joined, 
in February, the French Aviation Corps, is getting 
along. If you ever read anything concerning him 
in the papers please send me the article or let me 
know about it anyway. He surely is a fine young 
man. 

The Germans don't seem to be calming down any 
in the States, do they ? They certainly seem bound 
to make things come to a crisis at all hazards. 

Paris, Gare du Nord. 

July 7th, 1915. 

British Red Cross Annex. 

Just a few hasty lines to say I am in Paris for 
the two days. There were 21 of us came in yester- 
day afternoon getting here about 9.30 last night. 



EDMOND GENET 81 

Lydon, my friend from Boston, has been with me all 
the time. We are both almost "broke" but getting 
along O. K. in spite of that fact and enjoying the 
brief visit. Last night we took advantage of the 
hospitality of the British Red Cross Annex here in 
the R. R. Station for soldiers and slept soundly 
once again in "real" beds. This is the late P. M. 
now and we drifted in for a while after walking 
around the city taking in the sights. All this morn- 
ing we tried to get some money from our Consul 
but (the fact astonishes both of us a mighty big 
lot) there was absolutely nothing doing as far as he 
was concerned. We did get a few francs from some 
other American which will carry us through fairly 
well, but we'll have to make use of the British 
hospitality again to-night I guess and — being 
Americans — I sure am decidedly rebellious about 
having to even think of doing such a thing. 

The ladies here at the R. C. Annex have been 
treating us finely. I wonder where there is an 
English Red Cross Branch or Hospital where sol- 
diers are not treated like real men.? 

Paris is very bright and gay now and crowded. 
One doesn't see very many Americans though. 

The kind French gentleman, Mr. Guerquin, who 
was so good to me when I came over in Jan. is here 
in Paris at the same hotel where I stopped before. 
I stopped there last night and got my suitcase and 
wanted to get my shaving outfit and put some 
things in it. To-night I'll take it back and leave 
it there again. 



82 WAR LETTERS 

There's a piano in the Annex here and I've been 
playing on it some this afternoon. My ! How 
good it is to touch the keys once more. 

There are not many soldiers on the streets in the 
city — mostly those seen are wounded. There are 
plenty of oflficers though. 

Friday morning we leave to go back to the regi- 
ment on the 6.30 train. We go out via Creil and 
Clermond and Montdidier. We have been around 
the latter town a good deal. 



3e Regiment de marche. Premier fitranger, 

ler Bat., 4eme Compagnie. 

Secteur postal 86, France. 

July lOth, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

On the afternoon of the 7th I wrote you a rather 
hurried letter from the English Red Cross Canteen 
at the Gare du Nord, Paris, telling you we had come 
there for the two days' leave, that I was with Lydon 
and — broke. 

The following day, the 8th, ten of us met at the 
Place d'Opera and went to the Embassy to express 
our thanks to the Ambassador for using his influence 
to secure us the two days and we had as our spokes- 
man, the father of one of the fellows, Mr. Chapman 
of New York, who is very wealthy and a very pleas- 
ant man. The Ambassador seemed very pleased 
at our coming to thank him and said he wished us 
success in getting through the conflict with all our 
limbs and with sound healthy bodies. After the 



EDMOND GENET 83 

visit Mr. Chapman made us all go with him to be 
photographed for the press as it is believed it was 
the American press in Paris who got the Ambassa- 
dor to get us the leave, and Mr. Chapman is going 
to present each of us with a copy. He asked us 
if we would prefer to have them sent to us direct 
or to our parents, so some of us said (as they might 
spoil if in our hands) we would be glad if he sent 
them to our home so mine is going to you, dear 
Mother, as soon as it is finished and Mr. Chapman 
mails it. I wish all of us were there in the picture 
but unfortunately only ten of us are in it and, as 
Dave was left out of the two days entirely by being 
in the trenches at the time we left, he wasn't even 
in Paris to be in anything. Mr. Chapman sure 
did treat us all finely. One gentleman who was at 
the Embassy and talked with us handed out fifty 
francs for tobacco but we thought it best to divide 
it up, each getting a dollar so we could do what we 
liked with our share. It helped Lydon and I out 
quite a bit for eats, etc. Mr. Chapman treated us 
to two Havanas apiece anyway. That afternoon 
Lydon and I called upon Dave's wife whose hotel 
address I had and I had a very pleasant talk with 
her. That evening we had dinner with Lydon's 
corporal. The following morning (yesterday) we 
all took the 6 a. m. train back to here — a sorry 
bunch but mighty glad of the visit to gay Paris 
which sure did come very unexpectedly. I'm still 
pretty sleepy. 

There is a chance that I will get the regular four 



84 WAR LETTERS 

days' leave to Paris that is being given to the regi- 
ment — to those who have been in the trenches 
fighting for six months. If I do it will not be for 
a month or 6 weeks yet anyway, so last night I 
wrote to Uncle Clair to send me if possible a money 
order for ten dollars so I can have something to 
get along on should I get that leave in late August 
or early September. I surely don't want to go 
four days there on charity as it was mighty dis- 
tasteful to me to have to go even two days that way. 
Our picture ought to be in the papers of the 
States — the Herald I should think anyway — one of 
these present days, and if so I only hope you see it 
and recognize your "youngest." He's sitting down 
in front between two others. The rest are standing 
behind. Directly back of me was Chapman, the 
son of the gentleman who treated us so finely and 
had the picture taken. I am not quite sure where 
Lydon was standing but believe he is the third from 
the left. The boy sitting on my left side is William 
Dugan from Rochester, N. Y. The one on the 
right is a jolly colored fellow. I am not sure what 
part of the States he hails from. The colored fel- 
low standing toward the centre of the back row 
was the life of the party. I trust the photo, reaches 
you all right. The 3 on our coats stands for 3rd de 
marche. I had on a red cap — the rest gray, which 
is really what is worn now, but thus far I haven't 
been given one. If you notice the shoes we wear 
you will see they are pretty large and not very 
shapely but they are what are worn by the French 



EDMOND GENET 85 

troops and really are fine for marching — especially 
in the mud of this country which is very slippery. 
They are hob-nailed and therefore rather tiresome 
for walking on pavements and streets as we found 
in Paris. I can still wear a 53^ shoe though for I 
tried the pair I have in the suitcase in Paris. 

My dear Rod., 

My ear is O. K. now I am glad to be able to say. 
Whatever was the matter with it is all over. I 
can't imagine what made it so deafened for such a 
long time. 

Just after I joined the 2nd de marche I looked 
around for two of my old friends who were with me 
at La Valbonne. I found that they had both been 
killed in an attack at Arras on June 16th. One was 
a young fellow from near Buffalo, Hall by name, and 
the other an older man — a Greek, naturalized for 
some years as an American and a fine man too. 
He had left $250 a month salary in the States (a 
railroad engineer or something like that) to come 
over here and he lost his life in the very first attack 
he made. I had received a letter from him only a 
week or so before that date. Believe me it cut me 
up a lot to hear he had gone. Little chance one 
has to last when charging in the face of the rapid- 
fire guns used in this conflict. They can cut a 
regiment down in less time than it takes to tell 
about it, believe me. One can easier run between 
drops of rain than between the bullets of one of 
those infernal machines. For my part I'd rather 



86 WAR LETTERS 

try the rain-drops. There isn't a bang-bang-gang 
to the blamed things. It's just a continuous sound 
like the propeller of an aeroplane when it's going 
around at 70 per. 

An attack only lasts a bare ten minutes (usually 
less) in this war. Either the attacking party gets 
across in that time and drives the enemy from their 
trenches or else is cut down by the mitrailleuses 
before it can cover the few hundred yards between 
the lines. The latter is a pretty likely case. 

The 2nd of August will mark the end of the 1st 
year of this Hell-on-Earth. How many more 
there will be remains to be seen. Let us hope and 
pray there won't be many. All hands, I believe, 
would gladly call quits were such possible. Such 
evidently isn't possible from present outlooks. 
This must be all for the present. 

2e Regiment de marche. Premier fitranger. 

Bat. B, 4eme Compagnie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

July 25th, 1915. 

Dear Jeanette, 

The last I sent you was a postal (mean of me 
wasn't it.^) which was some time toward the end 
of June. Since then I have changed from the 3rd 
to the 2nd de marche as you may notice in the 
address I've given. The 3rd is no longer in exist- 
ence as there were too few left in both divisions to do 
anything but unite them into one body. The year's 
fighting sure took its toll of the Legion Etranger. 

I was in Paris from the 6th to the 9th of this 



EDMOND GENET 87 

month with the other Americans of the regiment. 
Ten of us were photographed for the Press and a 
copy is being given to each of us. Mine is being 
sent to my Mother and if she sends it on to Rivers 
to have a look at perhaps he may be induced by a 
request to give you a look also. We carried no 
weapons at the time so don't be frightened. 

According to the latest despatches this human 
conflict will be over some time in or about October, 
1931, so be looking for me soon. The lead is still in 
the ground yet that will send my soul into perdition, 
but all the same, Jeanette, I'm not taking any of 
those things people call chances — ^I carry an um- 
brella. That, by the way, has absolutely nothing 
to do with me burning my tongue with the coffee 
this morning. That was an unlooked-for taste of 
heat. There ! I do rave, don't I ? Where there's 
a beach there is sand but I haven't the grit to go on 
this way. 

These last two weeks I've been making more war 
on some particular and delicious cherry-trees than 
I have on the Germans. I have, thus far, come out 
of the fray more fortunately than have numerous 
of my fellow fighters. 

2e Regiment de marche. Premier Stranger, 

Bat. B, 4eme Compagnie. 

Sectem* postal 109, France. 

July 31st, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

Received your letter. We are still in the same 
position as we were when I wrote last — Sunday, 



88 WAR LETTERS 

25th, and no news yet about any change. Dave 
and I are getting anxious to get into the line again. 
These "off periods" are somewhat monotonous. 

As no letters to those engaged in the conflict are 
opened at all there is absolutely no chance of any 
such incoming letter being censored. Only our 
letters to outside friends, etc., are examined. It 
really is not necessary to be entirely neutral if you 
have any cause not to be. Your letters aren't 
censored nor are any others which come to me. 

You know by this time that I have written to 
Chaplain Pearce and I am anxiously awaiting his 
reply which I hope sincerely will clear up the un- 
settled condition of my mind concerning the Georgia, 
I am very happy to say, dear Mother, that what- 
soever has been the cause of my being let free and 
clear (if such is the case) is not on account of any 
trouble (to my utmost knowledge) between any of 
those on board and me. That is the cause Rivers 
also believes in but I assure you both that as far 
as my knowledge is concerned you are entirely 
wrong. It is just as much a mystery to me as it is 
to you. I only hope the Chaplain will be able to 
find out exactly about it. 

Last evening Dave and I, on our usual evening 
stroll, contrived to find some raspberries and we 
sure were successful. They were about the most 
delicious I have ever eaten — growing wild up on 
top of the surrounding hills here. We've found 
huckleberries in abundance too. Many of the 
raspberries were an inch long — big and just ripe. 



EDMOND GENET 89 

The cherries by now are pretty well thinned out. 
They sure were fine while they lasted and I didn't 
get sick from them either. 

I trust that photograph has by this time reached 
you safe and unbroken. It's time it did. 

We are now in the most famous brigade of France 
— the Moroccan Brigade or Division of the 7th 
Army. It is really the Division in which the 
Legion fitranger belongs. Before we were united 
with the 2nd de marche we were a part of the 2nd 
Army. 

I suppose Rivers is now on his way down the 
Atlantic coast to Charleston, S. C, where he will 
see Rod. What battleship is he making the trip 
with this year.^ One of the 1st Division ships I 
presume — from New York. It's too bad none of 
the Fleet got around to the Exposition. 

I'll let you know when I hear from Chaplain 
Pearce what he can tell me about my standing, etc. 
I sure am mighty anxiously waiting for his reply. 

Lots of love to you, dear little Mother. It's best 
to hope for the best — that I will come back to you 
all some day — when this is all over. God grant 
me success is all I can pray for — for myself. 

Enclosed is some real "Heather" which I picked 
to-day on the hillside. Some is white and some 
purple. 

September 19, 1915. 
I am far, far from where I last wrote — the place 
we were in for almost two months. Of course I 



90 WAR LETTERS 

cannot say where I am but I am at the front again 
although not yet actually in the first line. Long 
before this will reach you I'll probably be in the 
latter. 

Both your letters (Aug. 23 and 30) reached me 
a while ago. I would have written much sooner 
but was too busy with the changes, etc. The postal 
secteur is the same — I believe always will be with 
the regiment anyway no matter where we happen to 
be located. 

So far there has been nothing from Chaplain 
Pearce but I'm still hoping for a letter soon. What 
a shame that the good standing of the Naval Acad- 
emy has been knocked down a few notches. It 
makes it so much worse, too, when certain Con- 
gressmen cannot have backbone enough to stand 
by the good reputation of the institution also, 
instead of thinking first of their pockets, etc., 
but such is the way of many of our statesmen- 
grafters. 

If you ever read anything in the newspaper war 
news concerning the Moroccan Division of the 
Seventh Army containing the Arab troops, the 
Zuaves, and the "Legion," you can guess pretty 
correctly that I was in it. It might be an attack 
or a big review or some such an event. 

There are worse things than shells with fire. 
Mother. I'm not looking forward with a great 
deal of hope to meeting any of those sort of war 
implements but I reckon I'll have my full share be- 
fore this is over. The Allies' troops are frightful- 



EDMOND GENET 91 

looking creatures when they make a charge for the 
German lines, — respirators covering the mouth 
and nose, goggles over the eyes, grease covering the 
rest of the face and the hands and arms to prevent 
burning from petrol, etc., sometimes metal casques 
over the top of the head and a few other hideous 
preventatives. Sometime I'd like to get a picture 
of myself fixed up that way. We look more like the 
fiends of Satan himself than human men. I wonder 
the Germans don't often flee from mere fright at 
the sight of a horde of such creatures charging at 
them with bayonets fixed and shell bursting all 
around them. What a picture for later-day genera- 
tions to gasp over — "their grandfathers charging in 
the war of 1914-15-16-17, etc., etc." (Let's hope 
and pray it will end before 1920 anyway.) 

As it takes a month or so for us to exchange 
letters. Mother, I am asking now that before Xmas 
gets too near you get me one necessary article. At 
least I want it before Jan. 1st, if possible. You 
know I keep a diary and the one I have will, of 
course, be completed Dec. 31st, so if you will write 
to the people I always buy one from and get one 
for me for 1916 and send it over I'll sure be very 
obliged. Enclose 25 cents in stamps to Messrs. 
Laird and Lee, Inc., 1732 Michigan Avenue, Chi- 
cago, Illinois, for one of their 1916 diaries and time 
savers which they will send postpaid to you and 
then you can mail it on to me. I guess they will be 
able to let you have one by Nov. 15th and possibly 
sooner. I'd much rather have their diary than any 



92 WAR LETTERS 

other as I've always used theirs and it is an excellent 
one for my use. 

In the past three days I've seen more big auto- 
trucks than ever before in my life. The French 
use them extensively for bringing food to ilhe lines 
and in transporting troops quickly where there 
are no railroads. Coming out here the last two 
days or rather nights — for we marched at night — 
we were passed by line after line of auto-trucks — 
hundreds of them running often without lights one 
after another — very close and at high speed. The 
way they pound along the roads is marvellous. In 
spite of the amount of such heavy trucking over 
the roads all over France — especially near the lines 
— in the year of the war the roads are everywhere 
practically in perfect condition and never require 
much repairing. French roads are wonderful. 
Mother. I've got more praise to give to the 
Frenchman for his roads than for anything else. 
Our state roads can't come near to these highways 
of France. 

I'm seeing lots of aerial warfare here too. Aero- 
planes are all over and both sides shoot at the other's 
continually. It certainly is immensely interesting 
to watch them scout around over the lines and see 
the bombs burst about them. I've counted as 
many as fifty shells bursting around an aeroplane 
at the same time — within two or three minutes — 
and not one gets near enough to it to do any harm. 
It is seldom one is brought down, although where 
we were before I saw two French ones brought to 



EDMOND GENET 93 

earth within two days. One was the famous 
French aviator Pegoud. 

While I write here the big guns are pounding 
away incessantly on all sides. Yesterday the can- 
nonading was terrific and as this is early morning 
perhaps to-day's will be as bad. They like to hit 
it up toward sunset as a general rule. They keep 
going all night though, off and on. . . . 

knows some young French soldier over 

here whom she met last summer when she was in 
France. He hasn't been to the front yet as far as 
I can learn from her. He's in the 97th Infantry, 
but I should worry over him ! If I, as an American 
and with real service and real love and what-not 
else, can't win a true American girl, why, I'll rest 
my bones over here. I'm not losing any flesh worry- 
ing about 's French soldier friend. Some day 

I hope I'll meet him. 

From the way things look it will be some time 
ere I'll get my leave to gay Paris but now that I'm 
out at the real front again I want to see some hard 
fighting before I get it anyway. It will be all the 
sweeter for the waiting, won't it ? 

I've been having some painful trouble in acquir- 
ing a bit of wisdom in the last two weeks. In 
other words, by way of explanation, my wisdom- 
teeth have been coming up from their hiding and 
one was extremely painful for a number of days. 
"All is well that ends well." 



94 WAR LETTERS 

2e Regiment de marche. Premier Etranger, 

Bat. B, 4eme Compagnie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

September 22nd, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

There isn't much spare time for me to use in let- 
ter-writing now but I am using these few minutes to 
send this — possibly my last. There is a big fight 
coming, Mother dear, — that is all I dare to say but 
that little means a lot. Should I get through alive 
or well enough to write I'll do so the very first 
chance I get so you won't be held in suspense too 
long, but should you not hear from me within — say 
two weeks after you get this don't put it down as 
positive that I am gone for good. I might be a 
prisoner, or too wounded to get a word to you or 
something similar. "A bad penny usually turns up 
sometime." 

As I presume this will go to Rivers and Rodman 
you will all get my farewell. God grant it is not 
my last but you may all be mighty sure "the Kid" 
isn't going into the battle with any "yellow streak" 
or "the white feather." 

God bless you all, dear little Mother, and — au 
revoir. 

Your loving son, 

Edmond. 

October 11th, 1915. 

Dear Rivers, 

As you will already know from my recent letter 
to Mother I have been through a considerable 



EDMOND GENET 95 

amount of horror and real war these past three 
weeks. I'm not yet out of it by any means either. 
If it had not been for that I would have answered 
your letter very much sooner, but as it is there 
hasn't been more than time for me to scarcely think 
with any degree of adequacy let alone write letters. 
I'm still out on the lines but can get letters back 
now so will try and get this off this afternoon. We 
had three days' repose back of the lines about six 
days ago and so I was able to squeeze in a letter to 
Mother. Then I didn't think we would get out 
to the line again quite so soon after all the misery 
we had just gone through with, but we did all right 
and my lost sleep and energy is yet far from being 
made up. We haven't encountered quite the Hell 
this last period that we had the first (which I 
wrote to Mom. about) but we've had enough to 
want to get back behind the lines again for a good 
rest and clean-up. 

My comrade Dave Wheeler was wounded by a 
ball in the leg in the attack and I have since had 
a letter from him saying he was in Paris in a hos- 
pital and I guess he is pretty well off. His wound 
I don't believe is a very bad one. Three nights 
ago another one of my American friends was put 
back behind the lines with a wound in his knee 
from a bit of shell. One of the American fellows 
lost his life in the attack but otherwise the "U. S. 
Volunteers" are in fairly good shape — only blamed 
tired out. 

Mom. had a letter from Chaplain Pearce in 



96 WAR LETTERS 

answer to the one I wrote him and she sent it to 
me. There seems to be nothing at all to do but 
just wait until I can get back and then, through 
some authority, find out exactly what my standing 
is, etc. If it is necessary to go to the President 
afterward we can figure out that problem better 
then than now. I surely hope all is O. K., dear 
Brother, but if not perhaps my service over here will 
help a good deal toward making things all right. 
Let us hope so. 

I certainly have been through enough fire lately 
to last and satisfy any one for a lifetime, but there's 
lots more coming I know. How I came through 
alive and unhurt is more than I can tell. So many 
of us were cleaned out in the attack — a matter of 
a brief ten minutes. Oh it's Hell-on-earth all right. 
Rivers, and no mistake. Anybody who has the 
least bit of heart trouble or nervous prostration 
sure wants to keep out of a modern war. It's no 
place for an invalid. 

I've become a regular field-rat. Whenever we 
get anywhere within range of shell-fire and there 
isn't a trench already there we immediately dig in- 
dividual holes or dugouts to get into for protection 
from shells. That doesn't lessen the danger much 
though, for it doesn't prevent a shell from landing 
directly into such a trench and many a poor fellow 
has found he has only dug his own grave. 

I've been able to pick up a few German trophies 
from the captured trenches but the question now is 
— will I be able to get them with my things at 



EDMOND GENET 97 

Paris ? I will if I can get my permission but that is 
decidedly doubtful. One cannot carry trophies 
around very much when he is campaigning. 
Ever your loving brother, 

Edmond. 
p g, — All letters coming to me from the States 
now are censored by the military authorities. 

2e Regiment de marche. Premier Etranger, 

Bat. B, 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

October 22nd, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

Surely was I glad to get yours of Sept. 27th. 
In the same mail was one from Chaplain Pearce 
with an enclosed letter which he wrote in July and 
which was sent back on account of the address be- 
ing wrong. In his last he says, "A few days ago 
I had a talk with Comd'r Littlefield of the Georgia 
in your behalf but could get little information from 
him as to your status. My advice to you would 
be to get your mother to write to the Sec. of Navy 
and not you yourself as I stated in my previous 
letter. Still she might see the Congressman in 
her district to see about getting matters straightened 
out. Many American boys have been brought 
back to the U. S. But this may have been at the 
request of parents. I do not know whether this 
would happen in your case or not should the De- 
partment hear of your whereabouts. And however 
I presume they do, as all on your ship know." 



98 WAR LETTERS 

In his former letter he speaks of trusting that my 
status is O. K. and that I may be able to return to 
the U. S. some time without being punished. 

Repose began yesterday and we are far from the 
scenes of our late fighting. Paris isn't so far away 
from our present location and possibly we may get 
our leaves to there soon. I sure hope so anyway as 
I want to see Dave Wheeler while he is there, for as 
soon as he is well enough he will probably get re- 
formed [invalided] (he very likely will be unable to 
continue as a soldier as his leg will never be strong 
enough for heavy marching) and then he and Mrs. 
Wheeler will beat it back to their home in Buffalo. 

2e Regiment de marche. Premier Etranger, 

Bat. B, 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

October 22nd, 1915. 

Dear Star, 

It was somewhere back in early September when 
I received your two letters, Aug. 12th and 25th and 
here am I just endeavoring to scrawl a reply. Well, 
considering what I have been through in the last 
month's time perhaps you will overlook my gross 
negligence. Possibly you will have heard from 
Rivers something about the fighting I have gone 
through as I wrote to him a week or so ago just 
after the worst had passed to bygone days. There 
was a great deal of advanced fighting done by the 
French forces along the lines during this past 
month and I was in a good deal of the horrors. 
It was only yesterday when we finally began a 



EDMOND GENET 99 

repose which we all hail with joy because we surely 
need it. A more worn-out lot of troops are, I 
guess, hard to find. I say a lot but, to tell the 
truth, there aren't a very great many of us left to 
tell the tales in our regiment. I am pretty much 
at a complete loss as to how I managed to come 
through it all alive and unhurt for we certainly 
have been through a steady succession of ghastly 
horrors, attacks, under fire practically for a month 
and what-not else. In an attack we made on 
Sept. 28th, out of our company of 250 there are not 
quite 60 left, including the new officers (for we lost 
all our officers except one). The rest were either 
killed or wounded by the murderous mitrailleuse 
and shell-fire which we faced. One of my American 
comrades who was wounded in the leg by a ball and 
is now in Paris with the American Ambulance 
getting over it, writes and declares that I surely 
must be a "Little Devil" and bullet-proof to have 
come through that attack alive and untouched. 
Sometimes I wonder if he is not pretty much in the 
right. That same night there were but thirty-two 
of us able to be collected from two companies (500 
men) who were able to assist in carrying back be- 
hind the lines some of the badly wounded. 

On the first day of the actual fighting, the 25th, 
I believe I had the closest shave that I've had yet. 
We were advancing after the retreating Germans 
who had been driven from their intrenchments 
and they were firing big shells into the advancing 
ranks. Our section happened to get exposed to 



100 WAR LETTERS 

view on top of a ridge and immediately they hurled 
a huge 210 shell at us. Somehow we felt it com- 
ing — heard it too, and we all just dropped flat on 
our stomachs in the soft mud. It was one of those 
instances when a small fraction of a second counts 
and it counted that time in my favor. The shell 
sung its sweet love-song just over my shoulders and 
cranium and if I hadn't gripped my fingers into 
the mud I surely would have been lifted into the 
air from the force of the intake of air. As it was 
I felt myself lifted an inch or so and then — crack ! 
The huge shell burst a couple of yards behind me 
and killed two of my squad and wounded four or 
five others. Since that day I love such shells only 
at a great, great distance — a mile or so, you under- 
stand. 

There are many little bits of interesting things 
to say and describe about the sights of a battle- 
field after the battle and trenches which have been 
stormed and taken, but really it is best that you 
simply imagine such sights for they are too morbid 
and ghastly to write about. You'd have horrible 
nightmares for nights and nights after. 

Besides all the strain of being continually under 
fire we were soaked by rain almost all the time and 
slept in mud and water every night. You can im- 
agine how we felt snd looked after ten or twelve 
days of such life. 

How is life in Ossining now? — settling down for 
the winter, I presume. It sure is getting chilly 
over here now. This time of the year France is 



EDMOND GENET 101 

very rainy and damp too, which only adds to the 
misery of the cold. Lord, before we realize it 
Christmas will be here ! I've been here over nine 
months already. 

Best wishes to you and all the folks, Jeanette, and 
do write whenever you can. Believe me, letters 
are a blessing to me. 

Ever sincerely, 

Edmond. 

2e Regiment de marche. ler fitranger, Cie. C 4. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

October 28th, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

Dave Wheeler, in a letter he wrote to me from 
Paris which came yesterday, brought to my notice 
an article which appeared in the Evening Sun, Oct. 
5th. I write its contents: 

"American Soldiers in France. 

"The account between America and France, 
opened at the time of the Revolution that gave us 
liberty, is being liquidated. In this war young 
Americans with the spirit of Lafayette have thrown 
their lives and their fortunes into the balance and 
as this morning's despatches indicate a number of 
them have been killed fighting in the French army. 

"It is by a curious chance that among the names 
appears that of Edmond C. C. Genet of New York. 
Genet was the name of the Frenchman who came 
here over a century ago to plead that the United 
States take sides in the French war with England. 



102 WAR LETTERS 

By the wisdom of Washington that plea was dis- 
regarded. The young nation would have en- 
dangered its own life without being able to render 
any very substantial service to France. It was 
ours rather to demonstrate the possibility of realiz- 
ing the world's ancient dream of a government of 
the people, by the people, for the people. 

"But standing apart from entangling alliances, 
America has done better service, by setting an ex- 
ample and at times, as in the case of China, through 
mediation. And now her sons, fighting in the For- 
eign Legion, are paying the actual debt, man for 
man, incurred in the Revolution. Our contribu- 
tions to hospital service must also be counted as in 
some sense a reimbursement for the investment 
made so long ago by France in American good- will." 

A friend of Dave who knows of me through him 
sent him that article and he sent it to me. I hope 
you or Rivers or any of my relations or friends failed 
to see it in the paper or the article which came out 
the following day which Dave tells me about. 
This one I wrote above puts me down as being 
killed. The other one, printed the following day, 
Dave writes, had all the Americans killed but one. 
They had it that I, in the attack we made, when all 
the rest were slain, hid in a hole made by a bursted 
shell until the Tirailleurs (the Arab troops) charged. 
Then I up and charged with them killing, as Dave 
says they put in the article, about 10,000 Germans. 
I'd sure enjoy charging, with bayonet fixed, the 
blamed reporters who fixed up those articles out of 




"Citizen" Genet. 
First Minister from the French Republic to the United States in 1793. 



EDMOND GENET 103 

their senseless craniums. They deserve the extreme 
pleasure of taking part in one of those attacks. Pos- 
sibly their minds would be more calm and sedate 
thereafter. 

I can well imagine your feelings if you read such 
an article as that first (as this morning's despatches 
indicate, etc., and my name right out — the only one 
mentioned in the article — as being one of those re- 
ported killed). Curse all newspaper reporters ! 

We're in repose now and have been ever since 
the middle of last week. I'm pretty well rested 
now and am mighty anxious to get that 6- day leave 
to Paris. Six days' vacation there would put me in 
fine shape and feelings I know, but it's very doubt- 
ful if such is obtainable. 

Joseph Lydon, the young fellow from Mass. of 
whom I spoke in one of my last letters as having 
been wounded, is out of the war for good. He had 
his right leg amputated about 3 inches below the 
knee and is in a French hospital. When he gets 
well enough he'll be reformed [invalided] and I sup- 
pose can get some sort of a pension from the French 
Government for the loss of half his leg. That's 
fnighty poor recompense for one's leg though, and, 
poor fellow, I sure do pity him and the future he has 
before him of having to hobble around with crutches 
for the rest of his life. Dave is getting along pretty 
well but says his leg is still painful and it will be 
six or more months before he will be well enough 
for an active life. 

If, when they do sail, which will be probably 



104 WAR LETTERS 

some time yet, I know you will be around N. Y. I'd 
like you to meet them there and see for yourself 
what two fine friends I've made over here and in- 
cidentally thank them for all their good friendship 
to me. 

If, If, last year on Oct. 26th, when I was in 
Ossining after being with you on the 25th at Oaks, 
Pa., etc., on my five-day furlough from the Georgia 
(you remember, don't you ?) some one had told me 
that exactly one year later I would be passing in 
review before President Poincare, King George V. 
of England, the two Generals-in-Chief of France 
and England — Joffre and French — and many other 
high officials, I surely would have asked what that 
particular individual had drank last, but such has 
proved to be the truth. Our entire Brigade and 
Division Marocaine was reviewed by those high 
dignitaries on Oct. 26th, the most beautiful day we 
have had for two weeks, amid the martial strains of 
"God Save the King" and the "Marseillaise," and 
when we marched past the reviewing group I had 
the fine fortune to be on the very inside rank — 
nearest to them so that I had an unobstructed and 
very close view as I marched by. The President 
and King stood in front, Poincare in his usual 
black frock and black cloth cap, the King in Khaki. 
Behind stood "Grand-pop" Joffre and Gen'l 
French and lined up behind was a long line of 
notable generals and dignitaries. 

Once during the summer we were reviewed near 
Belfort by President Poincare and Gen'l Joffre. 



EDMOND GENET 105 

That was just before we left for the front for the 
late fighting. This was a far bigger and grander 
review though and King George of the British 
Empire was there. Believe me I held my chin up 
and kept my eyes open. Directly after we all lined 
up along the road over which the reviewing party 
returned in their autos and presented arms as they 
passed. I was again in the front rank. Our colors, 
presented to us by President Poincare only in the 
summer at that other review I spoke of, were this 
time presented with the Croix de Guerre (the 3rd 
medal of France) for our bravery in the late fight- 
ing. 

Every letter I get now from America has been 
opened by the military authorities and then resealed 
with their sealing paper. 

2e Regiment de marche. Premier Etranger, 

Cie. B 4. Secteur postal 109, France. 

October 30th, 1915. 

After a long wait for word from you I have to- 
day at last received yours of October 12th. What 
an unnecessary lot you all have passed through, 
say I, — all because a few blamed reporters had to 
get entirely too strong with their remarks and des- 
patches and everything else. Oh I'd like to put my 
hands on them, believe me, they'd begin to realize 
that Genet's descendant, etc., etc., was far, far from 
being killed or missing and knocked unconscious by 
any gas bomb. Gas bomb ! A fine story, indeed ! 
Why there was only one young American killed in 



106 WAR LETTERS 

the 1st regiment (I don't know anything about the 
2eme fitranger — perhaps a number of the Americans 
in it were killed). Fames worth of New York was 
the one killed of the 1st. Wheeler was the only one 
wounded (of the Americans, I mean) in the 1st. It 
sure does rile me when I realize all the worry and 
anxiety you, dear Mother, had to go through for 
nothing. There was even some article about me 
and some narrow escape I had from death, etc., etc., 
in one of Baltimore's papers for I had a letter yester- 
day, a long nice one, from Mrs. Lloyd. She didn't 
tell much about it but spoke of reading about the 
very narrow escape and honors, etc. Ossining, I 
take it, had its papers cluttered too, as one of my 
girl friends there wrote me and asked how badly 
I was wounded and whether I was in a hospital, etc. 
I suppose I'll be getting letters for the next month 
with such news — all resulting from those (never 
mind what I call them) reporters. It seems to me 
they might give me a sort of royalty for being such 
an easy write-up for their spongy domes to enlarge 
upon. Suppose you had had heart trouble and died 
from the shock of seeing my name among the killed 
or missing ! Well, let that instance be a good exam- 
ple. Mother, in case others follow. DonH believe 
me dead until you hear OFFICIALLY and finally 
from the French military authorities and even 
then there might be a chance that I be still alive — 
a prisoner or something else. Newspapers are never 
going to make sure of facts. They get first reports 
and mere rumors and those are all they ever care 



EDMOND GENET 107 

to get. The story is easy to put out afterward. An- 
other reminder — dont get rattled over my address. 
It's always the same whether I've been in a fight, 
etc., or not, — until I write a different one to you. 
If I'm wounded and not with the regiment but in a 
hospital the letters coming for me to the regiment 
are remailed from there to me and as soon as I 
get settled in a hospital I can send you all my new 
address. It's a wonder this last letter of yours got 
to me at all. You had absolutely no postal secteur 
number on it at all and for the past four or five 
months you've been sending your letters to 109. 
Why didn't you use that.^ 

Surely am I grateful to all the many thoughtful 
relations and friends whom you say wrote to you in 
your hour of sorrow and suspense and then again 
in your later time of gladness. God bless them all 
— you dear loving Mother, above them all — as He 
has blessed me and watch over you all as He has 
watched over me. With my whole heart and soul 
I thank Him for his guidance. Do you remember 
that hymn you sent to me — "O Jesus, I have prom- 
ised, etc." — where it reads "I shall not fear the bat- 
tle if Thou art by my side.^^" I thought of it as 
I was charging through the hail of bullets and shell 
in the attack on Sept. 28th and afterward — that 
night when it was all over — that wonderful fact 
came home to me — that surely He must know of 
my utter faith in His guidance and have watched 
over me that day and all the days of horror that 
came before and followed that day. Oh Mother 



108 WAR LETTERS 

dear, what better teacher is there than experience — 
for one to believe in God as well as to learn the ordi- 
nary lessons of life ? 

Dear old Dave Wheeler — how glad I was yester- 
day when I learned that he was to receive the Croix 
de Guerre for his brave stand on the 28th. 

I expect to get my longed-for leave to Paris this 
next week if all goes well. I sure hope I get it for 
I surely have waited and wished for it long enough 
— ever since early in the summer. 

And you, dear little Mother? I'd like to reach 
my arms across the Atlantic and give you a big, big 
hug. You've had entirely too much worry all for 
nothing and it's one mighty big shame. Misery to 
all reporters and never believe newspaper articles 
and their "official despatches." "A bad penny al- 
ways turns up." 

Ever your loving son, 

Edmond, 

Who's very much alive and ready for 

many more big fights. May God guide 

me through them all and back to you. 

Hotel de Moscou, 

10 Cite Bergere, Paris. 

Le 6 novembre, 1915. 

It took almost all of yesterday, on account of the 
slowness of the military trains, to get here but I 
finally did and reached the hotel about 6 o'clock, 
finding a mighty kind and hospitable welcome from 
the proprietor, Mr. Truchet and more than that 



EDMOND GENET 109 

from Mr. and Mrs. Guerquin who immediately took 
me out to dinner with them. What cheer such 
good friends are to one in a foreign city can only 
be discovered by the actual experience. 

It is not yet nine o'clock (a. m.) and I am waiting 
to go to the bank at that hour to get my draft 
cashed. I've already been out for a walk on the 
boulevard and had coffee and rolls in one of the 
many pleasing little cafes along the way. After 
the bank satisfies my desires I am going to make 
speed for the American Ambulance to see Dave 
Wheeler with some fresh fruit if I can find any on 
the way. 

Yes, I did know that big advance was coming 
about a week previous to it so that's why I wrote 
the letter of Sept. 19th to prepare your mind for 
whatever might happen but I sure didn't think 
false reports would supersede real facts as they did. 
As I said in my last letter — DON'T take any stock 
in newspaper talk again. Wait for the/ad5 — from 
headquarters always, for they'll come sooner or 
later if there are any to come. 

I'm mighty glad you find the new work so pleas- 
ant, dear Mother mine, but please, please take it 
easy. 

Don't, of course, send letters here in reply to this 
but to the Regiment as usual as I'll be back by next 
Friday. I go back that morning. That gives me 
7 nights and 6 days here w^hich is going to be fine 
and mighty enjoyable. 

On Sunday (to-morrow) I intend to go to ser- 



110 WAR LETTERS 

vice and Holy Communion at the American Church 
of the Holy Trinity at 23 rue d'Alma. I'm cer- 
tainly glad I'll have a Sunday here in Paris and be 
able to take Communion. 

Au revoir pour le present, chere Mere, 

Edmond. 

Regiment de Marclie de la Legion Etrangere, 

ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

November 22nd, 1915. 

Dear Bill, 

About the middle of October we left the late 
scenes of operations at Champagne where we had, 
as you know, such a strenuous and hard month of 
steady fighting. We left — a tired and worn-out 
Corps of troops — and mighty glad to at last get 
prospects of a prolonged repose. Ever since then 
we've had it almost to perfection in a very at- 
tractive village not a great ways to the northward 
of Paris. 

October 26th saw our entire army corps, the Divi- 
sion Marocaine, gathered for a grand big review by 
President Poincare, King George of Gt. Britain, 
General Joffre, — the grand-pere of the armees 
Frangaises — and various other high dignitaries; also 
the Prince of Wales. That sure was some vast 
review. I saw it in motion pictures last evening 
and was considerably thrilled by the vastness of 
that army in which I was a participant on October 
26th. When we were passing in review past the 
President and the King I had the fine fortune to 



EDMOND GENET 111 

be on the very inside file so that my view of them 
was unobstructed. Our regimental colors received 
the Croix de Guerre that day for our bravery in the 
fighting at Champagne. It certainly was inspiring 
to hear the bands playing "God save the King" 
and the "Marseillaise" and to see so many thou- 
sands of bayonets flashing in the sunlight that it 
looked like a vast sea of silver points. 

On November 5th I got off to Paris for six days 
leave and I sure did have six days of unbounded 
pleasure. They passed all too quickly, you may be 
sure. It was so good to get into Paris again after 
all that horror and ghastliness at the front. The 
few friends I have there did everything possible 
to give me a fine time and, believe me, Bill, they 
succeeded beyond measure. Dinners, the theatre, 
sight-seeing, movies and everything, — all were a 
part of those six days. Then came the 12th and I 
had to take a sad and tearful farewell of such joys 
and board le chemin de fer pour le regiment. 

Your fine letter of Oct. 25th came on the 13th and 
I surely was delighted to hear from you, old Chum. 

You all had a very unnecessary amount of anxiety 
over those newspaper accounts of me because they 
were utterly and absolutely unfounded — the mere 
supposition of a few brainless reporters who thought 
we Americans were good, handy, exciting material 
on which to build a nice dime-novel story. I'd 
like to wring their blamed necks for they had poor 
Mother and Rivers and Rodman and all my rela- 
tives and friends nearly wearing mourning. MotU 



112 WAR LETTERS 

DON'T believe newspaper accounts. 99% are 
fictitious and the other 1% is misprint. 



Regiment de Marche de la Legion Etrangere, 

ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

November 23rd, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

I have just sent you a post-card photograph of 
myself I had taken while in Paris. It's not a very 
good picture but one can scarcely expect the very 
best results when only paying 2 francs 50 for a half 
dozen postal photos. 

Of course you have long since received the letters 
I wrote during the time we were around Cham- 
pagne and so know something of my experiences 
there during the bloody operations. Last evening 
there were motion pictures shown to us here in the 
village and among them was a film showing the 
scenes at Champagne just following the attack 
and the 20,000 prisoners taken during those days. 
It certainly was a treat to me to see it all — through 
a film. (I saw all I wished to see in the reality 
while I was there — a suiBFering participant.) 

Although I saw many, many of the prisoners be- 
ing brought in when we were there I never really 
saw them all together (as the picture last evening 
showed) enclosed in a barb-wire enclosure — dirty, 
bloody, most of them wounded, tired, — friendless, 
and I could not help realize their pitiable misery. 
Many of them, though, looked unblamably happy. 



EDMOND GENET 113 

They were getting out and away from the horrors 
for the rest of the war. 

On Sept. 25th I remember we passed in our own 
trenches, just following the attack made on the 
German lines in the morning, a lot of the wounded 
prisoners and they were a sight to give most any- 
one a heart-throb. Some were covered with blood 
from big gashes or bayonet wounds. Most of 
them were terrible young too — boys of 16 and 17 
years. I saw several fellows who had their arms 
around some comrade's neck — worn out, weak and 
perhaps half heart-broken, I can imagine my feel- 
ings if I were in their place. 

Another film shown was of the King of England's 
and the Prince of Wales's late visit to President 
Poincare and their review of our Division Maroc. 
on Oct. 26th. Those were wonderful pictures, — 
inspiring to see that vast review of the Colonial 
troops, Zouaves, Tirailleurs, our noble Legion and 
the Cavalry as we passed before the reviewing 
party. I do hope you and Rivers and Rod. see 
those pictures when they are shown in the States 
for very probably they will be — or ones like them, 
at some time. You'd have a useless and fruitless 
task in looking for your son among that vast army. 
He's only a tiny unit of those thousands, but it will 
give you some idea of the vastness of one small por- 
tion of the fighting forces de la Republique Fran- 
gaise, dear Mother, and I feel certain 'twould make 
you sit up and hold your breath some. 

It is miserably damp and cold here now. The 



114 WAR LETTERS 

sun hasn't been out to amount to anything for days 
and days. I'm thoroughly disgusted with the 
climate of Western Europe. God's country is 
never like this. 

I hope you or Rivers or Uncle Clair have done 
something about the Navy Dept. matter. Let me 
know just as soon as you hear from the Dept. I'm 
almost positive the answer won't be at all joyful. 
Mother, but somehow we're going to clean decks 
some day. 

Regiment de Marche de la Legion fitrangere. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

November 29th, 1915. 

Etoile adorable, ! ? ? ? 

Don't dare call me any such name as that. 
'Tis too high and lofty for such as I. If you don't 
know what an etoile is get a French translation book 
and look it up. 

Have you been spilling ink for me lately ? I cer- 
tainly hope you have because I haven't had any of 
your bright literature for a good many weeks and 
I've been looking for some right along. 

The six shortest days of this month I spent in 
bright little Paris. I say the six shortest days be- 
cause they were just that to me. Why is it the 
days of one's best pleasures have to speed by the 
quickest ? They sure did hum past ! I had a great 
time though in spite of the shortness of the time. 
If I remember correctly I sent you a few lines of 
script on a postal one of those days. I sent several 



EDMOND GENET 115 

postals but it is yours I remember particularly 
'cause I believe I imbedded my love on it— or am I 
thinking of one of the other cards to some other 
"young thing" ? Gosh ! Maybe I am ! I do get 
absent-minded occasionally, chere amie, but you'll 
pardon the deficiency, won't you please? 

I hope you survived Thanksgiving Day. ^ I har- 
bored a most agonizing appetite— agonizing be- 
cause I was several thousand miles from one of those 
real American turkey and squash (they can't fool 
me about it being pumpkin) pie dinners. Oh ! it 
sure was a hungry day for me but I still exist and 
next year's Thanksgiving Day I pray I will be where 
I can just pour in the good food and I'll have a 
double appetite then to make up for this year's 

lost feed. 

I do wish you would send me a little sunshine, 
Jeannette. There's nothin' but rain and then 
some more and wet snow and frost every blessed 
day. It has been that way this entire month and 
bids fair to be the same all December and January. 
Over here it's a fine day if it just rains part of the 
day and a bad day if it rains all day. The nights 
don't count; I sleep then— if it's not too cold. 

By the time this reaches you it will be nearly 
Christmas time so right now I'm going to wish you 
all a mighty bright and merry Christmas season and 
a very, very joyful happy New Year. May it con- 
tain also a treaty of peace and complete tranquillity 
for these hell-loving nations over here so I can hike 
back to the native heath. 



116 WAR LETTERS 

Don't neglect to spill considerable ink on my 
account. 

Affectionately, 

Edmond. 

Regiment de Marche de la Legion fitrangere, 
ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 
Secteur postal 109, France. 
November 30th, 1915. 

Dear Rivers, 

We are not out at the actual front just now but I 
think it will not be very many weeks before we get 
orders for the line. We've been in repose ever 
since the middle of October. This week the Legion 
is being fitted out in Khaki uniforms and discard- 
ing the gray ones. They (the gray) are most cer- 
tainly very invisible but the khaki is the more prac- 
tical and is being adopted almost universally. 

When I went to Paris early this month I took 
with me quite a bunch of cartridges and trophies 
of various sorts which I picked up in the cap- 
tured German trenches at Champagne. I left 
them there in the suitcase. I cut one belt-plate 
from off the belt of a dead Boche. It has a crown 
in the centre with "Got Mit Uns" written around 
the crown, not a bad souvenir. I picked up three 
fine German bayonets while there but lost them 
later before I could get them back. It's not very 
easy to carry many things while fighting anyway. 
One wants to be as light as possible. 

I sure had a dandy time in Paris with Dave and 
Mrs. Wheeler and Mr. and Mrs. Guerquin. They 
did all sorts of things to give me a fine time — din- 



EDMOND GENET 117 

ners and the theatre and sightseeing, etc. 'Twas all 
too short a time. The hotel proprietaire was only 
going to charge me 2 francs 50 (50 cents) a day for 
my room on account of my being a soldier but I 
made him take 3 francs a day. Pretty cheap — 
about $4.20 for 6 days and 7 nights, wasn't it ? He 
has been fine about keeping my suitcase there 
safely for me all the time and has readily sent me 
any clothes from it I have written to him for and he 
has also agreed to handle any money Uncle Clair 
may send me, change it at Paris and send it on to 
me by the regular French military letter of recom- 
mendation which all the soldiers get their money at 
the front with and thus save me a lot of unnecessary 
trouble. There's no necessity of questioning his hon- 
esty either. Mr. Guerquin has known him a long, 
long time and I am sure he is perfectly reliable. 

On Sunday I received a fine box of chocolates 
from Dave Wheeler. He and his wife have sent me 
candy and magazines and fruit cake quite often. 
A fellow couldn't want for better friends. 

Did you enjoy Thanksgiving Day ? Not being a 
French holiday, it passed the same as any other 
day here but I sure had an appetite all the same for 
the usual Turkey dinner we always had in the years 
gone by. I sure hope this hell will have long since 
ended by Thanksgiving of 1916 and we'll all have a 
rousing big feed together then to make up for last 
time. 

This letter will not reach you until nearly Christ- 
mas time so I'd better wish you a mighty merry day 
of it now than wait 'til later when it will be too late. 



118 WAR LETTERS 

May the New Year be much, much more prosperous 
and bright for us all, Rivers, than those past ones 
have been. 

Regiment de Marche de la Legion Etrang^re, 

ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

December 4tli, 191o. 

My dear Rod., 

Yesterday I received your letter of Nov. 13th 
and with it the diary 1916. Many, many thanks 
for both. I have been wondering what adventures 
and wanderings will be put down in its pages ere 
1916 is closed .f^ The 1915 book is fairly exciting 
that way. I really hope that somewhere about 
June or sooner I'll be able to write down "La Paix 
Europeenne" in its annals. I saw in a French paper 
several days ago that our tin-car manufacturer, 
Mr. Ford, of Detroit, Mich., declared this conflic- 
tion of modern barbarians would gently and surely 
terminate by "le Jour de Noel." Yes! Possibly 
for a six-day suspension of fighting if the Pope at 
Rome succeeds with his petition to the belligerent 
powers. I reckon that will be all the termination of 
the war there will be — if that ! . . . 



Hospital Anx. 307 

(postmarked Neuilly sur Seine, 

Dec. 5, 1915). 

My dear Mrs. Genet, 

Your boy's thanks and your own are very grate- 
ful but I hope you both know that he gave more 



EDMOND GENET 119 

than he got. We were the only two Americans in 
the battalion and his company was more cheering 
than I can tell you in the dull days of "repose" 
before we went into action. 

In the advance of Sept. 28 Genet kept on until 
only one man of his company was left — the rest were 
shot or had taken refuge in the trenches. It was 
only then that they decided to retreat. Genet's 
companion got rattled and was killed but your 
son owes his escape to his own coolness and good 
judgment. As all the officers were shot he probably 
wont be decorated but the regimental flag received 
the war cross for the action in which he took so 
gallant a part. 

The Legion is so reduced in numbers I doubt if it 
takes part again in any important manoeuvres but 
if it does I am sure Genet's cool head will carry 
him through without a dangerous injury. Mus- 
grave, a Texan, has the same steady nerve and he 
has been in four attacks without a scratch and that 
is just the kind of men who win the charges. 

If I can get back to the Legion I shall try to get 
in your son's squad, but if my leg stays crooked I 
hope to return home and have the honor of calling 
on the mother of the bravest boy I know. 

Yours very truly 

David E. Wheeler. 



UO WAR LETTERS 

Regiment de Marche de la Legion fitrangere, 

ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

December 22, 1915. 

My dear little Mother, 

Contrary to my expectations we are not going to 
be in quietude and repose on Christmas. Yester- 
day, amid a drenching rain and snow, we marched 
over thirty kilometres of muddy sloppy roads to 
the front. God only knows what's in store for us 
ere another week is up but I have my suspicions. 
Noel is going to be no merry day for this Division 
by any means I'm sure, and Christmas week — well 
— 'twill be the last week of the year and more than 
likely the last week for more than a few of the Legion 
Etrangere. 

Your package has thus far failed to reach me 
but I am still hoping it hasn't been lost or nabbed. 
I had a large Christmas package from the American 
Church at Paris. It was filled with candy, some 
things to wear such as a muffler, gloves, etc., and 
magazines with best wishes from the Americans of 
the Church. What do you suppose I received the 
day before yesterday from Dave and Mrs. Wheeler ? 
It 'most overwhelmed me. It was a regulation 
officer's rainproof "slicker," and a dandy gift! I 
found it most serviceable yesterday in the march 
and it is going to be mighty convenient to me at all 
times as this is one rainy country especially in 
winter. It must have cost at least seven or eight 
dollars and I sure was overwhelmed when I thought 
of their splendid generosity. I feel as if I am doing 



EDMOND GENET 121 

all the receiving and none of the giving but it doesn't 
seem to matter to them in the least. They are 
friends among a million ! 

I've too much to do to write any more now. I 
want to get this off while there is a chance of its 
going out. Before I close, dear Mother, let me 
impress on your mind this fact: — DON'T believe 
any newspapers should they report anything about 
me. If I am killed or missing or dangerously 
wounded you'll be notified in due time by the au- 
thorities themselves. And DON'T worry about 
me. If God means me to die fighting for France 
worry isn't going to keep me alive. I'm here to 
"DO or DIE." 

With every bit of love. 

Your loving son, 

Edmond. 

December 24th, 1915 
I am glad to know that all my letters have reached 
you and Rivers and Rod. 

I wrote you the day before yesterday just after 
getting out to the front. Thus far we have done 
nothing and we may leave for the interior in a few 
days. Of course nothing is definite and if any- 
thing was definite I couldn't tell you anyway. 

It is fine and generous of the ladies of that 
Phila. Colonial Chapter to send me a box and for 
the good Ossining friends and New York relations 
to think of me and send me Xmas boxes. I feel 
altogether too popular for my position. 



122 WAR LETTERS 

I suppose from your inquiry that you think the 
"Exp" I write before my name on the envelopes 
has something to do with my rank but let me assure 
you, dear Mother, that you are far wrong. It sim- 
ply means in English — "from" or "the sender" 
and stands for the French word "Expediteur." 
Several people have written it before my name 
when addressing letters to me which must have 
looked extremely foolish to the French authorities 
just as it would look ridiculous to our postmen if 
a Frenchman wrote "From" before the name of 
an American thinking it was a title or such. 

I don't expect to-morrow will be a very merry 
Christmas but I'm not complaining. I'm happy in 
the realization that my friends are all on the other 
side of the water or away from this conflict where 
they can have a merry Christmas. 

The sun came out for a few minutes yesterday 
and I had a chance to see what it looked like. It's 
a decidedly infrequent visitor over here. "Absence 
makes the heart grow fonder." 

Let me tell you a funny incident which occurred 
last week during some sham military manoeuvres of 
the Regiment. The Commandant of our Battalion 
is very jolly and given to make funny remarks now 
and then. In looks he reminds me of our pictured 
Santa Claus, short, round and jolly with flowing 
white whiskers covering his shirt-front. During a 
sham attack he suddenly pretended that he had 
been hit and killed by a bursting shell. "Je suis 
mort, je suis mort !" he cried and every one laughed. 



EDMOND GENET US 

A little later two soldiers in the same spirit of 
amusement declared they too were dead — just to 
get out of some work which had to be done at the 
moment. The Commandant glared at them for a 
minute. " Vous etes morts .? " he questioned ; " bon, 
je suis chef des morts, allez avec moi!'* They 
followed him. 

I do hope your package reaches me all right very 
shortly. I can't see why the authorities could have 
any reason for withholding it from me. Every- 
thing you say is in it is permissible for the soldiers. 
Perhaps all four boxes will reach me before January. 
With all love to you and best wishes to every one, 
Ever your loving son, 

Edmond. 

Jan. 1, 1916. 

Dear Genet, 

This is the first time I have written 1916 and there 
is no one I would rather begin the year with than 
you. Under separate cover registered I shall send 
your money order which will not arrive as soon as 
this. 

I hope Lydon comes to the A. A. During my 
permission I am required by the bureau de Sante 
to report there daily. This I am very glad to do 
for living in Paris there is nothing better to occupy 
one than surgery. The bureau talk of disaffecting 
me to the service of the hospital at the end of my 
leave of absence. I still hope to return to the 
Legion if I am not lame and to get reformed [in- 



124 WAR LETTERS 

valided] if I am. To stay in Paris till the end of 
the war would be too beastly. It is against the 
French rules to reform [invalid] a one-legged man 
until he has a wooden leg so Lydon had better 
get busy. I don't know about the M. M. (me- 
daille militaire) but hope he gets it, more because 
he stuck to his post when others ran than because 
he is shy one pin. 

I have received the papers of my war cross 
(croix de guerre) so I know you were a true 
prophet and thank you very much for watching the 
Bulletin for me. I watch it too but sometimes miss 
a copy. It will probably be months before the cita- 
tion is published. 

The skin has quite closed over the hole in my leg 
and to-day for the first time it does not require a 
dressing. 

With all best wishes I am 

Yours very truly, 

David E. Whee];.er. 



Regiment de Marche de la Legion fitrangere, 

ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

January 6th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

It was December 24th when I last wrote to you, 
but I have been holding oflP this long in hopes your 
Xmas package would arrive but thus far not one 
of the four you wrote me were being sent have 
come. I don't quite understand why they haven't 



EDMOND GENET 125 

as it seems to me they are long overdue. Anyway 
I do hope they haven't been nabbed and thus never 
will reach me. I want those two good suits of 
woolen underclothes and the gloves too much to 
want them to clothe some one else. 

Just to-day we, the squad I'm in, had our picture 
taken and when it is finished and we get the cards 
(it is to be on post-cards) I'll send you one. We 
received our new khaki overcoats yesterday so the 
picture shows us in them. Eventually the Legion 
will all be clothed in khaki garb but now only the 
first battalion has it and most of us only have the 
overcoats thus far. The casque (helmet) is used 
by practically all the French troops now to help 
protect the head from shrapnel and ** spent" bul- 
lets. They are no protection against "unspent" 
bullets unless they hit at such a large angle that 
the metal could possibly cause them to glance off. 
The casque weighs about 2J^ pounds. 

The new khaki uniforms are a great deal better 
made than are the old gray ones. The overcoats 
are a bit heavier in material and weight and much 
superior to the gray. I feel much more like a 
modern soldier now, — more American. 

I don't know whether it would be safe to send the 
1915 diary back by mail now or not. It might not 
pass the censorship board. I think I'll send it to 
Truchet, the proprietaire of the hotel in Paris, and 
let him put it in my suitcase. I hope it won't 
be a very long while before I can carry all my things 
back to "home and Mother" — the dearest there 



ne WAR LETTERS 

ever was. It won't be any time in advance of next 
fall though even if peace negotiations should start 
somewhere early in the Summer. Peace negotia- 
tions take months and especially will those of this 
world-wide scrap. I guess, even if the war does 
terminate this year of grace, it will be well into '17 
ere your "hopeful" comes sailing home. 

'Twill be just a year the evening of the 13th of 
this month since that said "hopeful" walked in on 
you at Norristown on his way back from Washing- 
ton, D. C, and informed you that he was on his 
way to France. The following morning he bid a 
mighty quiet but heartfelt farewell. The 20th he 
sailed and here it is a whole year later ! 

The Austrians have sunk another ship with some 
U. S. citizens aboard and after I supposed the trou- 
ble between the two countries was over when 
Austria said she would punish the commander of the 
submarine which torpedoed the Ancona and prom- 
ised to pay indemnity for the American lives lost. 
And still the "notes" continue to circulate — noth- 
ing more — on the part of the U. S. — but Austria and 
Germany still continue to laugh behind Uncle 
Sam's back and murder his peaceful innocent citi- 
zens unhesitatingly. 

It's getting toward "taps" so this lengthy docu- 
ment must necessarily be brought to anchor. A 
world of love to you, dear little Mother from — 
Your loving "hopeful" in khaki, 

Edmond. 



EDMOND GENET 127 

January 18th, 1916. 

Dear Leah, 

Christmas chimes and New Year bells have long 
since finished ringing. When this reaches you 
it will doubtless be half-way to Easter-tide. How 
time flies ! 

To-day's paper brings unfavorable news for the 
Allies. Montenegro surrendered sans condition 
yesterday to Austria. Will Servia go next ? 

So there is no skating at Macy's pond this season ? 
That is unfortunate because Law's always was a 
long walk and never seemed to me to be half so nice. 
I don't suppose the Hudson has frozen over yet 
enough for skating. About the last thing I did at 
Ossining last January was to skate one morning on 
the river. There isn't a sign of even cold weather 
here in this part of France. Nothing but rain, rain, 
rain, 'most every day. It doesn't sound very agree- 
able, does it ? 

On account of being at the front we could not 
enjoy a very merry Christmas or New Year. New 
Years was better than Christmas simply because 
it is a great deal more celebrated in this country 
than is Christmas. The soldiers celebrated it as 
freely as was possible. The day following proved 
that, for every one was feeling a bit dull under the 
scalp. 

The day before yesterday we moved back to the 
interior and will go still farther before the end of 
the week. I doubt whether we shall be again at 
the actual front, until Spring is well advanced un- 



128 WAR LETTERS 

less, of course, les Bodies start something before 
then which seems unlikely from present observa- 
tions. Practically all the heavy fighting is being 
done by the Russians (who are to be lauded for 
their splendid drives) and in the much-torn and 
trampled Balkan States. They certainly are get- 
ting their share of the mauling. 

The other day I read in the paper here of the new 
giant caliber guns being installed for the defense 
of the Panama Canal and the important points of 
the east and west coasts of the States such as at 
Sandy Hook, San Francisco and other points. 
They surely are huge, being of 400 millimetres. 
I'm glad to see the States are wakening up to the 
necessity of national defense. It's almost beyond 
time for that. 

There's yet another bit of interesting news re- 
corded in the Paris journals several days ago. It is 
that "Teddy" Roosevelt is running for the presi- 
dential chair on the G. O. P. ticket and that is 
great news to me. This year's campaign bids well 
to be one of excitement and immense interest. 
Three cheers and success to "Teddy," shout I. 
Now maybe you won't write to me any more if 
you don't want to vote (? ? ?) for him. I never 
thought of that before I started to rave. Please 
forgive me ! 

Henry Ford didn't give the world peace for a 
Christmas gift and should it come by Spring 
(which it won't) it won't be because of the efforts 
of that new-sprung pacifist. By the way, I saw one 



EDMOND GENET 129 

of his tin-can autos here the day before yesterday. 
'Twas a friendly sight. 

Vive la Paix ! It's all right to sing "It's a long, 
long way to Tipperary," but I want to shout : " When 
Johnnie comes marching home!" 

Au revoir maintenant et bien de choses a tout le 
monde. 

Sincerely, 

Edmond. 

January 19th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

On account of never receiving the letter I wrote 
on Oct. 3rd you ask me to give an account of what 
we did at Champagne, so I'll begin at the beginning 
and endeavor to make it as interesting and consecu- 
tive as possible. Arriving at the environs of that 
section of the front about the first Tveek in Septem- 
ber we marched into an amazing hustle and bustle 
of preparation for the intended drive. We de- 
trained just east of Chalons-sur-Marne and marched 
several kilometres toward the front the same 
morning before dawn, camping for the day to eat 
and rest at a newly installed camp of concentration. 
There we came into the first rush of mobilization for 
the attack. The routes were jammed to over- 
flowing with huge auto-trucks, wagons and automo- 
biles carrying food and other supplies to the troops 
and tearing back to reload. Day and night they 
kept it up. At night they ran practically without 
lights, as much as possible, for security against 



130 WAR LETTERS 

hostile aero scouts and distant batteries. It was 
thrilling to see those huge, powerful trucks rushing 
along the roads at almost breakneck speed, — dark, 
terrible symbols of the serious business before us. 
It seemed uncanny, weird, unnatural. The large 
bodies of troops were always moved at night and 
kept well under cover as much as possible in the 
daytime. Invisibility at all times of modern 
warfare is of the utmost necessity, — in concentrat- 
ing for an attack as much as in the actual fighting. 
We couldn't even smoke when marching along the 
routes at night for fear some flying aeroplane or 
scout balloon observer should discern the many 
tiny sparks that, though seemingly small and in- 
significant in one, would surely be counted in hun- 
dreds should smoking be permitted at such times. 

Leaving the camp of concentration that same 
night we marched to a town called Suippes and 
thence to a woods about three kilometres beyond 
and nearer the front. The country all around 
there is made up of many large plains with here 
and there small wooded parts which were admirable 
hiding-places for troops. There we camped until 
the morning of the 25th, about a two weeks' period 
in which we were served the necessities for the com- 
ing fight — new clothes for old if required, masks for 
protection from gas, the metal helmets and many 
other things including the extra ammunition; 120 
rounds is ordinarily carried per man and 250 for 
actual fighting. The latter is no light load. The 
last few nights of those two weeks we dug "leaders" 



EDMOND GENET 131 

to the trenches for the passage of the extra troops. 
The earth there is composed of chalky limestone 
and is very hard to dig through. We had to dig 
the leaders sufficiently wide for the portage of the 
wounded on the litters too— about six feet. Dig- 
ging almost all night required sleeping practically 
all day which we did with joy and relief. Each 
squad slept in a tent. Each soldier carries a light 
square of canvas which, when buttoned with several 
others, forms an excellent tent for as many men as 
there are squares used. When not used to form a 
tent these canvas squares make excellent water- 
proofs. 

The night before the 25th our colonel read to us 
in the dusk the order from Gen'l Joffre for the 
attack. The Division Marocaine was to be in the 
first reserve. The Colonial Division made the 
attack. Long before dawn on the 25th we marched 
to our position just to the rear of the first French 
line, to the west of the little village (then a mass of 
shattered ruins) of Sompey, amid a drenching misty 
rain. We had light loads in our sacks and plenty 
of cold rations in our musettes (food-bags). The 
bombardment of the German trenches before the 
charge was terrific. The German line looked like 
a wall of fire and hellish flames from the bursting 
shells. The batteries of both sides made the world 
sound like Hades let loose. From the sharp crack 
of the famous French 75's to the deep roar of the 
aerial torpedoes it was an incessant Bedlam. 
About nine o'clock a French aeroplane flew right 



132 WAR LETTERS 

over our first line, circled around and back. It was 
the signal for the French batteries to cease shelling 
the German first line and for the Colonials to charge. 
They did, and nobly too. Taking the German first 
line, with a vast number of prisoners, they forced 
the Germans back to their reserve lines. Then it 
was that we began our advance in their rear as re- 
serves. Passing through the leaders toward the 
old French line we passed scores of captured 
wounded Germans. Some of them, mere boys of 
16 to 20, were in a ghastly condition. Bleeding, 
clothing torn to shreds, wounded by ball, shell 
and bayonet, they were pitiable sights. I saw 
many who sobbed with their arms around a com- 
rade's neck. We passed French dying and wounded 
being hurriedly cared for by the hospital attendants. 
Blood was everywhere and it was simply sickening. 
The smell of powder filled the air and to me it is 
one of the most disagreeable odors we encountered 
with the exception of what came later — that of 
decayed bodies of horses and mules and even men, 
left unburied for whole weeks. That is too horrible 
for more than mention. 

We followed up the Colonials and passed part of 
the late morning in the captured German trenches. 
They were battered beyond description and filled 
with dead — mostly Germans. German equipments 
lay thrown everywhere, discarded in the flight. 
Many German wounded could be seen making their 
way painfully to the rear. I remember one poor 
fellow who must have been totally blinded for he 



EDMOND GENET 13S 

walked directly into the barbed wire and had a 
most trying and painful time to get out. It made 
me sick to watch him. I turned away but couldn't 
find anything more cheerful to look at. The Coloni- 
als who had been killed in the charge lay in ghastly 
wrecks before the German line, the sickly death 
pallor of their hands and faces in awful contrast 
with the pools of blood about them. The wounded 
were being carried back as fast as possible. The 
German batteries continued to shell all around us 
all the time and it was interesting to watch the big 
shells burst in the rear and send the dirt and rocks 
far into the air. One burst directly in a body of 
cavalry on one of the roads. It was horrible ! 

About two o'clock we began to advance under 
fire behind the Colonials and then it was that I 
had about the closest shave from death in all that 
month. Our section had to advance over a ridge 
and we must have been seen by a battery which 
was sending shells of 320 mm. caliber into the ad- 
vancing Colonials. Somehow we felt that huge 
shell coming; how, I don't know, but we all just 
threw ourselves flat into the mud. If I had been 
one little hundredth of a second late I wouldn't be 
telling the tale now. I felt that monster hurl di- 
rectly over my head; the intake of air raised me at 
least an inch out of the mire which I was gripping 
with every finger and with all my might. The 
shell burst not more than three yards behind me 
and killed four of the section and wounded several 
others. My heart had one of the quickest jumps of 



1S4 WAR LETTERS 

its life. I thanked God then and there for His 
mercy and He must have heard me, for no other 
shells came our way though they kept bursting to 
our left among the Second Regiment in endless 
numbers. Just behind the Second was a battery of 
75 *s which had been rushed up at the advance and 
they were barking away at a terrific rate. The sight 
of the dead lying about was awful. Most of them 
had been literally torn to pieces by the exploding 
shells. The sight of one will never pass from my 
memory. A Colonial was in a sitting posture 
against a small embankment. There was an ex- 
pression of agonizing terror on his features, and no 
wonder, for below his waist he had been blown to 
shreds. One of his feet, the only thing recognizable 
of his lower anatomy, was lying several yards in 
front of him. I think we all shuddered as we passed. 

We continued on our advance until darkness set 
in and lay all that night in a drenching rain in wa- 
tery mud. Sleep was practically impossible. Shells 
were dropping around us every few minutes and 
anyway the horrors of the day just closed were too 
awful to allow pleasant dreams or even sleep to 
follow. All night the cries of the dying could be 
heard. I felt as though I were in some weird night- 
mare. I wish it had been, for then I could have 
awakened and found it to be only a dream. As it 
was it was a grim reality. 

Just after we arrived at that place, when dark- 
ness had set in, was when Dave Wheeler showed his 
coolness. There was a false cry for us to charge 



EDMOND GENET 135 

and the Third Company, in which he was, started 
forward with bayonets on. The Commandant of 
the BattaHon, seeing the mistake, jumped in front 
of the advancing and excited men and tried to 
check them. One of the sergeants of the Third 
helped him and Dave, cooler than the rest, did the 
same. The check succeeded and Dave told me 
afterward that the Commandant asked w^ho he was* 
The Commandant found a soldier's death directly 
in front of Dave on the 28th in our attack. Early 
the next morning I tried to find Dave and couldn't 
and so was very afraid that he had been killed in 
the previous day's advance. 

We changed our position early that morning to 
a small woods behind the new French line which 
the Colonials were holding, and were under a ter- 
rific bombardment all the day, being in direct line 
between the dual fire of a French battery of 75 's 
and one of the German 77's. The German shells 
landed nearer to us than they did to the French 
battery. That night our first lieutenant, a fine 
young man, was instantly killed by a bursting shell. 
We buried him where he fell like any other soldier. 

Being out of rations, several of us had to go 
nearly six kilometres that night for new rations for 
the company. You can imagine how tired we were 
when we got back and it was raining again which 
didn't help sleeping a bit. 

The following day we moved farther back to an- 
other woods, but here we got into a worse bombard- 
ment. We lost men there every day. To protect 



136 WAR LETTERS 

ourselves as much as possible from the bursting 
shells we dug individual trenches into the ground 
just large enough to lie in, but many a poor fellow 
merely dug his own grave for they are no protec- 
tion should a shell fall directly into one on top of 
the occupant. It was hell and nothing less. That 
day I found Dave and felt much better for it. I 
guess he did too for that matter. That was the 
27th — only the third day of the horrors. 

The 28th (it will live in my memory forever) 
brought no excitement until the middle of the after- 
noon. Then we were ordered to prepare to depart 
for the attack. The Colonel had chafed over con- 
tinually being in reserve and had personally asked 
the General in command for permission to put the 
Legion to the front attack. His request was 
granted. The first and second companies of the 
First Battalion and the third and fourth of the 
Second Battalion were to take the advance. The 
other two companies of each battalion held the 
reserve. Ahead of us the Arab Tirailleurs made 
two strong charges and both times had to fall 
back. They were ordered to make a third and, 
refusing to face again the murderous fire of the 
German machine-guns, turned in flight. Mean- 
while we had started our advance in solid columns 
of fours, each section a unit. It was wonderful — 
that slow advance. Not a waver, not a break, 
through the storm of shell the Legion marched for- 
ward. Officers in advance with the Commandant 
at their head; it inspired us all to courage and calm- 



EDMOND GENET 137 

ness. We met the fleeing Tirailleurs and our officers 
tried to turn them back. I saw our Commandant, 
wrath written all over his face, deliberately kick one 
Arab to make him halt in his flight. Shells were 
bursting everywhere. One lost his personal feel- 
ings. He simply became a unit — a machine. 

Crossing a clearing we came at last to a woods 
just in front of the German line. There we met 
the decimating fire of the machine-guns, bayonets 
were fixed, and the order given to advance on the 
run. A faint cheer rose above the ping-ping of 
the bullets. Leaping a trench containing the terri- 
fied Tirailleurs, we charged. The forward French 
line which the Colonial troops were holding was still 
before us. There was a slight pause when we got 
there. The sections formed into a skirmish-line 
and, being in the fourth section of our company, 
the Fourth, I got away over on the left flank. The 
Third Company was on our right. Everywhere 
men were falling. The fire was terrific. As I 
ran for the left with the section I could hear the 
bullets cutting the leaves and twigs all around me — 
ping, ping, they hissed as they struck the trees. 
They came from the front and the left, hissing death 
in our ranks 'til there were few of us left. 

While the woods ended at the French line in 
front, they extended far beyond on our flank. We 
leaped the first line where the Colonials were. 
Their duty was to stay there and hold that line. 
We charged on, but somehow about fifty metres 
ahead of the line I found myself alone with one other 



138 WAR LETTERS 

young fellow from my section. The others who had 
leaped the French line with us were nowhere to be 
seen. Seeing this, we dropped flat behind a bush, 
thinking the rest would rush up behind us and con- 
tinue the charge. The Germans had begun to 
shell the wood just ahead of us. The din was 
terrific. Dead Tirailleurs were lying everywhere, 
killed in those two first charges, ghastly and bloody. 
There were none of the Legion around us to charge. 
I turned to my companion and said, "They're all 
dead here (motioning to the corpses); the section 
must be behind us; shall we beat it back?" He 
nodded, stood up and started back on the run. I 
followed and reached the Colonial line without a 
scratch. I never saw the young Italian again 
but heard a long time after that he had been 
wounded and was carried back that night. Be- 
hind the Colonial line I found the two sergeants of 
my section with half a dozen men. They had re- 
treated before my comrade and I had seen them, 
and were waiting there for further events. Dark- 
ness was falling. I had thrown away my sack in 
the commencement of the charge and in it were my 
rations — some bread and a tin of beef — and my 
tent. I had a mouthful of water in my canteen 
but nothing to eat. We lay there until after 
seven and then the Adjutant, the only oflScer left 
of our company, found us and the remnants of the 
Third and our company were gathered together to 
go back to where we were before the attack. A 
half kilometre back of the line the Major (the 



EDMOND GENET 139 

Battalion doctor) had five badly wounded men of 
the two companies and asked the Adjutant to let 
us carry them back to the field-hospital in the rear. 
Tents were secured, and with four of us to each 
tent we carried them nearly four kilometres over 
rough muddy ground to the field-hospital. You 
can imagine the agonies of those five wounded men 
being carried along under such conditions. They 
stood it far better than I thought they would. 

When the Adjutant counted us off in fours to 
carry them he counted just thirty-one, including 
himself, gathered there from the two companies of 
250 each ! I found my little S. American comrade 
safe among them and heard from a hospital atten- 
dant that he had seen Dave crawling off to the rear 
after the fight with a bullet wound in his leg. He 
said he had more pluck than any of them. Thus 
it was that I wrote to Mrs. Wheeler the next day 
and told her of Dave's condition and not to worry. 
As it was, she heard from him before she got my 
note, but just the same I was glad I had written. 
Brave Dave went down beside his captain, the last 
of his company in that section, and he saw his cap- 
tain and the Commandant both make very brave 
ends. 

The thirty-one of us reached our old camp about 
ten and dropped gladly into our little trenches for 
sleep. It was raining, there was an inch of water in 
my trench and I had no tent to put over me. I 
was soaked through, covered with mud, hungry, 
thirsty, and thoroughly exhausted but sleep was 



140 WAR LETTERS 

impossible. I dozed and shivered for the rest of 
the night, thinking of the afternoon's events and 
wondering fearfully whether Dave was alive and 
safely on his way to succor. I prayed it was so 
and dawn brought sunshine and some warmth. 

We who were left looked around that morning to 
see who was there. Old faces were gone. Out of 
my squad of twelve there were only two of us left. 
We all had our little accounts to tell. Our Adjutant 
and the few sergeants left, at the order from the 
Colonel, got the Third and Fourth Companies to- 
gether into one. There were, with those who turned 
up that day, about 120 all told — all that was left 
from nearly 500 ! We got soup and meat, a swal- 
low of whiskey and wine, and tried to make our- 
selves comfortable. It was hard work. I wrote 
the letter to Mrs. Wheeler and sent it off with the 
mail clerk. We got mail that afternoon, and a letter 

from cheered me up immensely. The world 

began to look a bit brighter. 

The next day I found some of the Americans in 
the other Battalion and learned of Fames worth's 
death in the attack. No other American was lost 
in the First Regiment. 

October 2nd we were drawn back to the rear to 
the camp where we were the first day at Cham- 
pagne. The French were strengthening their posi- 
tion all over. New positions were being established 
for the batteries. All the counter-attacks of the 
German forces had failed. The French victory was 
complete. 

We had three days' repose in which time we got 



EDMOND GENET 141 

clothes washed and cleaned, a hot bath, and some- 
what rested and reorganized. Then it was that I 
wrote to you the letter which never got through. 

Our work at Champagne wasn't over as we had 
hoped. We returned to the reserve lines and 
moved about from one position to another all the 
first half of October. At this time the French 
were just beginning to assemble and bury the dead 
around the old German line which had been taken 
on Sept. 25th. It was a horrible sight — those 
grotesque forms, stiffened as they had fallen, 
glassy eyes still staring from their sockets. Eden 
Musee contains no such horrors as those still forms 
presented. They were identified by the metal 
name plates which every European soldier carries 
(it contains his name, matricule, and date and place 
of enlistment) and buried in large common graves. 
Gradually the horrors disappeared into memories. 
God knows these are bad enough ! 

From October 13th to 17th we were in the first 
line and under bombardment practically the whole 
time. Every night we dug an advance trench and 
the second night the Germans discovered us. They 
shelled us for over an hour and all we could do was 
to hug the earth in the newly begun trench and let 
the shells burst and roar about our ears. It isn't 
pleasant to be shelled when there's no protection 
of any account to get behind. It's bad enough 
when there is some protection. It was in just such 
a plight that poor Joe Lydon was wounded a couple 
of weeks before. His battalion was in the first line 
and he was doing guard duty one night with his 



142 WAR LETTERS 

corporal and two or three others in advance of the 
line. The German batteries opened up and, when 
the shell which cut off the lower half of Lydon's 
right leg burst, the rest ran back to the trench for 
cover. Lydon, wounded, had to brave it out, ex- 
pecting every second to be killed by some shell. 
Finally he managed to crawl slowly back and was 
dragged over the trench wall by his comrades and 
hurried to the rear and thence to Chalons-sur- 
Marne to a hospital there. He certainly fully de- 
serves the Medaille Militaire which he is getting. 

October 17th we were relieved by the 170th 
Regiment dTnfanterie to which most of the other 
Americans had changed the preceding week. We 
marched back all that night and so relieved and glad 
were we that our time at Champagne was at last 
over that we sang and whistled almost the entire 
march, tired as we were. Toward dawn we camped 
in a woods a few kilometres south of a town called 
Coverly. We were there three days getting fixed 
up. All had a good hot bath, washed their clothes 
and cleaned everything up. Late in the afternoon 
of the 20th the Division Marocaine et Coloniale 
entrained at a small place east of Chalons-sur- 
Marne and Champagne with its horrors was left 
gladly behind. Thus ends my tale, dear Mother, 
and from it you can see something of the horror 
and tragedy of modern warfare. May it soon 
come to an end. We all want the taste of peace 
to return to our hungry hearts. That of war is 
too bitter. 



EDMOND GENET 143 

God bless you, dear little Mother mine. I don't 
wonder you felt so lonely on New Year's day with 
your kids so separated from you. How I hope we 
may all be together again before this year ends ! 

From my last letter of the 16th you will know 
that your package reached me O. K. with only a 
shirt, pair of gloves and the candy gone. 

It's time to turn in so must close now. With all 
love, Your loving son, 

Edmond. 

Regiment de Marche de la Legion fitrang^re, 

ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

January 27th, 1916. 

My dear Rivers, 

. . . We have been, and for that matter, are, 
very much on the go. For the past two weeks we 
have been moving back from the line and are now 
within a short day's march from where the Division 
is to have three weeks' or a month's manoeuvres 
with, I understand, some English recruits. If the 
latter proves to be so it will be some fun for us 
Americans. 

Enclosed is a photo of the squad I am in which 
we had taken early this month near the front. 
Yours truly as you can readily notice hasn't gotten 
thin over the war thus far in spite of all he has en- 
countered. Vegetable soup twice a day, plenty of 
exercise, a big sufficiency of meat, wine and bread 
is the excuse. Think of it! — the "kid" even 
smokes and drinks now] 



144 WAR LETTERS 

I have numbered the occupants of the picture 
and on the back written their nationalities. The 
Swiss hold the majority. Number 6, the S. Ameri- 
can, speaks English and has been with me ever 
since I first reached the front last March. 

Mother's package finally reached me about two 
weeks ago with the box of candy, one of the shirts, 
and one of the pairs of gloves missing but as long 
as the rest of the things were O. K. I can't kick 
over the loss. 

The sweater which Uncle Lock. Mackie and some 
of the others in N. Y. sent reached me several days 
ago in excellent condition. It's a dandy and a 
mighty useful addition to my outfit. I feel pretty 
well fixed now with comfortable clothes to wear. 
Our company has received the khaki overcoats and 
jacket but thus far not the trousers. Those will 
come shortly. They are mighty good. The pic- 
tures enclosed show us with the overcoats. 

News has been received lately that at least five 
or six of the Americans who changed last Fall to 
the 170eme Regiment d'Infanterie are either dead or 
else prisoners of war as that Reg. was badly shat- 
tered several days ago when the German attacked 
and took the trenches it was holding. Two or 
three of the fellows luckily were in Paris on per- 
mission at the time and thus are safe. The rest — 
we can only surmise their fate. I'm glad I didn't 
change when they did. 



EDMOND GENET 145 

We'll probably get out to action around March 
or early April. It is very evident that the French 
and English are going to open up with a rush and a 
roar then and the few of the Legion fitrangere who 
will be lucky enough to live through our next drive 
will come back with glory and undoubtedly will 
enjoy the peace celebration as well as life later. 
There have been about forty-eight thousand vol- 
unteers for the war in the Legion since the conflict 
began. There are about five thousand left for ser- 
vice now and so you can easily guess how many 
there will be after another drive — like we enjoyed 
last Fall. 

In the village in which we were staying yesterday 
they gave us a special service at the church in the 
evening. I went in and listened to the pastor give 
the men a mighty strong volume of praise. The 
Legion has had its knocks and its glories in this 
brief year and a half of war. Peace may be only 
six or eight months away but before peace comes 
there may not be much of the Legion left. 

Mom wrote that Uncle Clair had written to the 
Dept. to find out about me. I am waiting anxiously 
but serenely for his result. I know what it will be. 

Best wishes, dear Brother, and love from 
Your loving brother, 

Edmond. 

Am enclosing also a photograph of a gun crew of 
a French mitrailleuse, a Hotchkiss. Every regi- 
ment has its quota of mitrailleuses. 



146 WAR LETTERS 

February 16th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

... I had a lovely letter from Mrs. Lloyd. 
She spoke of your letter to her. Among other 
things she wrote was that little Ricka, ever since I 
asked her to pray for me, in one of my letters, has 
put into her prayers ezery night "And please, God, 
bring Edmond Genet safely home from war." 
"Surely," writes her mother, "God will answer that 
prayer," and surely He will, say I also. Little 
Ricka must be a very patient little girl. 

Thus far nothing has come from Uncle Clair in 
regard to the Dept. I am looking for a letter every 
day now though I know he will not have heard 
very quickly in response to his request. 

"Preparedness" is having a big fight all through 
the States now as well as in Congress. I had some 
Phila. papers of early January sent to me by an 
American in Paris and there were some articles in 
them about the contest. I'd like to know all that 
is going on about it as it interests me not a little. 

Where we are staying just at present there is a 
family of refugees from Flanders, — or rather the 
wife with three little youngsters and an older 
daughter. One's heart goes out to such homeless 
victims of the early tragedy of this war, Mother. 
So many of them are throughout France now — 
trying to make both ends meet ! One knows that 
the father and perhaps a brother or two are either of 
three things : dead, in forced military service under 
the German hand of power, or heroically giving 
their all in the service of their gallant young king. 



EDMOND GENET 147 

February 28th, 1916. 

Yours of the 7th reached me a couple of days 
back and I've been trying to get in time enough 
between guard and sleep since to write this. 

We are out on the line and, from all appearances, 
will be here for some weeks to come. Just before 
we were hurriedly ordered out I was within two 
days of leaving for my permission to Paris and then, 
miserable luck ! — we came here and now I under- 
stand all leaves are suspended for as long as we 
are on the line and my looked-for pleasure is days 
in the future. I had hopes, up to to-day, of getting 
off sometime this week but now I feel sure that won't 
be possible. 

Chaplain Pearce says he gives this war three 
more years unless the Allies hit it up pretty strong 
— far more strenuous than they are doing now. 
Russia is doing splendidly but over on this front 
most of the hitting is being done by the Boches. 
Three more years of this and, if I live through it, 
I'll be a fit candidate for an asylum ! 

I wish my next letter to you was to be written 
in Paris but I'm pretty certain 'twill be scribbled 
right here and several others to follow also. 

With best wishes to all and all love from 

Your loving third, 

Edmond. 

^ I am one of the battalion signallers now as I knew 
the signal code used and they put me in. It isn't 
quite as exalted a position as a general but still it's 
something. 



148 WAR LETTERS 

March 3rd, 1916. 
Dear Rivers, 

Our regimental flag was decorated to-day with the 
Russian Cross of St. George by the general of the 
Division for our work at Champagne. It was 
decorated last Oct. 26th with the French Croix de 
Guerre by President Poincare for the same thing. 

Have you by any chance read or heard of us 
Americans who have enlisted here in France for this 
war being disfranchised by the Amer. Gov't for 
disregarding the neutrality and thus being denied 
the right to vote ? I heard yesterday in an indirect 
way that such was the case. I simply cannot be- 
lieve it. In that case the Embassy or Consulate 
in Paris should notify us and first give us a chance 
to get out of the service here and thus escape dis- 
franchisement. I have written to Dr. Wheeler to 
see if lie knows anything about it. 

Late last week I was within two days of getting to 
Paris on a 6 days' permission, but on account of the 
activities of the Boches at Verdun all permissions 
were suspended temporarily and thus far haven't 
been started up again so I am still in mighty strong 
impatience waiting. 

We were out on the first line for 6 days lately and 
it was pretty wet and sloppy as the first two days 
there was quite a blizzard and then the snow melted 
and rain fell in considerable quantities so that by 
the time we came out for repose we were pictures- 
quely soiled and wet — besides being decidedly 
sleepy. Aside from several short bombardments we 



EDMOND GENET 149 

had a fairly quiet time. One afternoon when I was 
on guard a shell fell directly in front of me but failed 
to explode. There are lots like that but naturally 
my heart hit the trail for my mouth for a few brief 
seconds. We had the joke on the Boches because 
they learned that the Legion was opposite them 
and, having weak troops in that secteur and sup- 
posing that we were there for an attack (you see 
what a name we have) they put in reinforcements 
and fresh troops but by that time we were on our 
way to the rear ! Guess they had quite a scare. 

The Boches sure have been driving hard in the 
east around Verdun. They lost about 75,000 and 
gained but three or four kilometres. Trop cher, ga ! 

Nothing has come from Uncle Clair yet concern- 
ing the N. Dept. and I am watching every day for a 
letter from him. I know though it will take quite 
a while to get a response from the Dept. 

I understand Wilson has declared he will write 
no more, notes to Germany and intends to take im- 
mediate strong action if they sink another ship 
with Americans aboard. I think Germany wants 
us in this conflict. Rivers, so now they surely will 
torpedo an American vessel. 

Edmond. 

I 

Regiment de Marche de la Legion Etrangere, 

ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

March 6th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

My last letter of the 28th was written from the 



150 WAR LETTERS 

trenches. We made our sortie on the 1st for re- 
pose — covered with mud, wet, tired and bedraggled. 
During the first two days there was quite a hard 
blizzard. The following days were intervals of 
rain and sunshine which did away with the snow 
to such an extent that everything under foot was 
soaked and running mud and water and by the time 
we came out we all looked like part of the slime it- 
self. I made a chilly bath and changed and washed 
clothes at the place we stopped for that night and 
slept like a log afterward. 

Your letter of Feb. 13th came this afternoon and 
how relieved and glad I am to know that my 
account of Champagne did really reach you with- 
out being nabbed or censored for I certainly be- 
lieved that such would be its fate. IVe no doubt 
that it was very interesting to that old Civil War 
veteran and also will be to the Colonial Chapter. 
You may think a lot of it is exaggerated but I beg 
to assure you, dear Mother, that such isn't my 
ability — to make up. There was really lots I for- 
got to put in which might have added to the in- 
terest but never mind now. I guess 'twas grue- 
some enough as it is. 

I am still waiting impatiently for my leave to 
Paris. On account of the German activities at Ver- 
dun all permissions were suspended and I am now 
wondering fearfully whether I shall get off before 
Dave and his wife decide to sail for the States. 

(There's a cunning little puppy trying to lick my 
face while I'm writing this and he just planted his 



EDMOND GENET 151 

dirty little paw on the other half as you can see 
by the smudge.) 

I enclose a charming letter I received from an 
American who lives in Paris but has gone to Nice 
for a time and invited me to spend part of my 
leave there with her. You see the French govern- 
ment sends free all the permissionaires to wherever 
in France they wish to go for leave so I could 
go to Nice for four days and then to Paris to be 
with the Wheelers four more days and my time of 
travel would not be counted as actual days of leave, 

but I have thanked and told that, owing to 

my acceptance to be with Dave and Mrs. Wheeler 
and the fact that I am not sure when I shall get the 
leave (she may have returned to Paris ere I get 
off on leave) I feel that I must decline her generous 
hospitality. It surely was a temptation to say yes 
though, for I know how beautiful the Riviera is at 
this season and what a pleasant time she would 
give me. 

Mr. and Mrs. Guerquin a^ked me to stay with 
them also but I had already accepted the W.'s in- 
vitation so had to decline. I also know a Miss 
Harper whose father, once in the Legion, is a promi- 
nent Amer. lawyier in Paris and she has asked me 
to spend haK of whatever Sunday I may be in Paris 
with them, — luncheon, then going somewhere in the 

afternoon and dinner afterward. She and have 

sent me books, magazines and different things quite 
a number of times and written very nice letters as 
well. 



15£ WAR LETTERS 

How wise of you, Mother darling, to plan a visit 
to Ossining after the D. R. Convention in May to 
see all the old friends and be with Rivers for a time. 

Supposing that you will wonder what the bag- 
like object fastened to my coat-front in the photo is, 
I may as well tell you that it contains the mouth- 
respirator and goggles for protection against asphyx- 
iating gas. We carry it everywhere — even when 
10 kilometres behind the actual line. 

With lots of love to you, dear Mother, and best 
wishes to all, 

Your loving son, 

•Edmond. 

P. S. The two little notices enclosed of a sergeant 
and a captain in the 356e Reg. d'lnfanterie may be 
some of my relations over here. The notices are 
citations for the Croix de Guerre (military medal) 
and what they did to be thus decorated. Notice 
that both belong to the same reg., so perhaps they 
are father and son. 

Regiment de Marche de la Legion fitrangere, 

ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

March 26th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

Your adventurous son, in spite of his poor French, 
etc., has found a very interesting and a rather lik- 
able position in the signal corps of the regiment 
and I have some hopes that he may find his way 
into the brigade corps ere many weeks. You see 



EDMOND GENET 153 

I was able, fortunately, to profit from my previous 
knowledge of signalling in the U. S. N. to show my 
ability and make good here and I feel a bit satis- 
fied over it too. 

There seems to be quite some excitement going 
on along the border of Mexico between the U. S. 
troops and Villa's army. 

'Twas just a year ago when I got to the front the 
first time. That was at Cappy — on the line and 
about midway between Peronne (east) and Amiens 
(west) ; Frise is just north of it on the line, so per- 
haps you can locate it. 

The offensive is about over around Verdun, but 
a big attack is expected in another part of the front 
here, — a second big offensive by the Germans and 
we are in readiness for them with all eyes open. 
I'm sure we'll be in this one for fair — or foul. May 
we have a large share in ending it all for good ! 
That would be an honor **bien acquis." Watch 
the papers carefully but the excitement will proba- 
bly begin before this reaches you. 

These last few days (with the exception of yester- 
day which was fine) have been both rainy, snowy 
and cold — altogether disagreeable. We found it 
rather sloppy weather for digging trenches in but 
that's part of the "game" of war. To tell the 
truth I have had less than a tenth of the trench- 
digging so far that I expected to have when I came 
over. That isn't anything to be sorry over though, 
is it.? Just from keeping my two eyes well open 
and collecting the knowledge securely in my head 



154 WAR LETTERS 

I've learned lots about field fortifications and 
trenches and battery positions, etc., in this last 
year here. Maybe it will all come in mighty agree- 
ably handy some time in the future — for my own 
country's benefit. Experience certainly is the best 
instructor after all's said and done. 

March 28th, 1916. 

Have just received this p. M. your letters of the 
5th and 8th and am considerably startled to learn 
of my having been wounded with the Legion at 
Verdun. That lively correspondent who put that 
particular bit of information in the paper would 
thoroughly comprehend my health condition and 
physique if I had him here with me now — I'd make 
a complete surety of that. You will certainly 
have learned, from the fact that my letters written 
after the date the paper reported me wounded, 
which naturally tell nothing of such a calamity, 
that it is all bosh and rubbish and will not be worry- 
ing until this particular letter reaches you. That 
fact gives me considerable relief for I certainly 
don't want you worrying over me and especially 
over false reports. 

Had I been wounded you certainly would have 
heard from me or from some source such as Dave, 
for I'd do my best to get some news through to you. 

As we haven't had any dealing in the least with 
the Boches at Verdun I cannot very well write any 
experiences for the Paris papers to that effect. As 
for ever being a war correspondent— well that's a 



EDMOND GENET 155 

questionable question of a future date but there are 
lots of better jobs on the market. 

That article you enclosed about the through 
naval vessels which included my former floating 
home is quite an interesting one to me. The Navy 
Board isn't doing a rash thing to put those three on 
the back seat. If they'd only keep on and put the 
rest of the back numbers on the shelf and build a 
fast battle-cruiser in the place of each they'd begin 
to have somewhat of a modern sea-fighting force — 
one that might attain some real respect and con- 
sideration from the other world-powers. 

Spring is coming with a grand rush. The early 
wild flowers of the season just carpet the woods and 
this morning I found the first violets peeping forth 
in the grass beside a tiny stream. Periwinkles (we 
had a small bed, you remember, beside the old home 
and dear old Dad liked them so much for his Sun- 
day button-hole bouquet) grow quite wild here and 
they are spread in beautiful masses all through the 
woods beside the early white wild strawberry buds. 
All the trees are breaking forth and budding, par- 
ticularly the cherries and apples. Old winter is 
taking a breezy farewell of this war-devastated 
land. 

The day's mail leaves shortly so to get this oS 
I must close right now. 

With best wishes to all the good friends and rela- 
tives and a world of love to you, dear patient little 
Mother, Your loving son, 

Edmond. 



156 WAR LETTERS 

Roosevelt Hotel, Paris, 
Easter afternoon (April 23rd, 1916). 

My dear little Mother, 

Your French youngest surely had fortune favor 
him this time; Good Friday was an exceptionally 
excellent Friday this year for on that day I left the 
front for my long hoped-for leave and here I am 
with Dave and his wife spending Easter, 1916, in 
brilliant but war-saddened Paris. I only knew 
I was due to leave on my furlough the evening be- 
fore I left and spent the time between guards 
(we were in the first line) to pack up and clean 
some of the mud and muck off my uniform 
which was a sight from being in the muddy, sloppy 
trenches. 

Arriving in Paris about 5.30 p. m. Friday I stopped 
to get my valise at the Moscou Hotel and then 
came straight out on the subway to the Roosevelt 
where I was enthusiastically welcomed by Mrs. 
Wheeler and she saw to getting a room for me. I 
tubbed and put on decent underwear and a shirt 
and collar and then enjoyed my first appetizing 
meal I had had for five and a half months. Dave 
sleeps at a barracks in Paris but has leave every 
day, so is only absent nights. He and Mrs. W. are 
simply lovely, dear Mother. I've only been here 
barely two days now and have enjoyed every min- 
ute of it. They both asked me to give you their 
very best wish and to tell you how much they are 
enjoying and are pleased to have me here with them, 
but I know they can't feel quite as strongly appre- 



EDMOND GENET 157 

ciative as I am to be so splendidly treated by them. 
Mrs. W. calls me her adopted son. 

I never expected to be so fortunate as to spend 
Easter here, for from the way the permissions were 
lagging along I reckoned it would be well into May 
before mine would be forthcoming, but here I am 
and mighty thankful and jubilant over it, too. 
Saturday (yesterday) I did some shopping in the 
morning and then we all three went to the "movies" 
in the afternoon. In the late afternoon I went to 
Colombes-sur-Seine and found the Guerquins 
mighty surprised but very, very glad to see me and 
had supper and spent the evening. It's not far but 
the trolley-lines quit running at 8 every night so 
one has to come back by train if he overstays that 
hour. 

This morning I attended early Holy Communion 
at the American Church of the Holy Trinity and 
then went to the regular eleven o'clock service at the 
other American Church on rue de Berri. The latter 
is the one which sent me the things last Xmas and 
seems to contain a far more sociable lot of Ameri- 
cans than the first. I thanked Dr. Hyatt, the pas- 
tor, for their kindness as soon as the service was 
over. 

This afternoon we took a walk down-town and 
saw the Easter crowds which, considering the war, 
were crowds indeed. One sees the uniforms of all 
the Allied nations here on the streets and boule- 
vards. The sight is quite brilliant. A great many 
wounded soldiers and officers are here in Paris also. 



158 WAR LETTERS 

One sees sombre colors as a general rule on the 
feminine portion of the crowds. Bright vivid holi- 
day gowns are very, very exceptional. As Mrs. 
Wheeler remarked the crowds in Paris seem more 
like German crowds than Parisian for the very 
fact that practically every one is so quiet and 
sombre. Black gowns and frocks are the rule 
rather than the exception for there aren't many 
who haven't felt some loss in these past twenty -one 
months of conflict. 

The gardens and parks and grounds with their 
flowers and trees, statues and fountains, and 
shrubbery are very beautiful now that Spring has 
opened up the buds and leaves and flowers. To- 
day has been very fine and clear — a fact very un- 
expected for yesterday, Friday, and most of the 
preceding days of this month have been very April 
days — showers most of the time. We were all 
mighty glad to find Easter so glorious and pleasant. 

My leave is up Friday morning. I take the 9.30 
train back — but don't let me write of going back 
when this is only the second day. 'Twill come all 
too quickly as it is, — *'let us eat and be merry," 
n'est-ce pas, chere Mere ? 

I enclose two post-card views of the Roosevelt. 
It sure is great to sleep in such a comfortable 
place and in a genuine bed once more ! I slumbered 
like a bat in the daytime these last two nights — 
Heavenly bliss ! ! ! 

As I said before we were in the first line when I 
left and we will be there again — or will the day 



EDMOND GENET 159 

after I get back — in all probability. We're not in 
a very dangerous sector. Just the same I had 
spent but a bare two hours in sleep during 60 hours 
previous to my leaving on Friday morning so you 
can imagine how tired I was when I finally hit the 
soft white covers of my amiable bed on Friday 
night here at the hotel. 

I'm glad to hear of Rod's new find in the question 
of petite femininite. I'll have to send him a few 
teases. 

How I hope yours has been a happy Easter, dear 
Mother ! I've been hoping that ever since I turned 
out this morning. Mine has been far lovelier than 
I ever expected it would be. 

With every bit of love to you and best wishes to 
all. 

Your loving son, 

Edmond. 

This morning I bought a bouquet of carnations 
for Mrs. Wheeler for Easter. She seemed very 
pleased. I wish I could do more to show my grati- 
tude to them than I can at present. 

Roosevelt Hotel, Paris. 
April 24th, 1916. 

Chere Etoile, 

There ! You see how fortune has beamed upon 
me this time ! I got my permission on Good 
Friday and spent that excellent day in the voyage 
to adorable Paris. (Gosh what a pen this is !) 



160 WAR LETTERS 

Spending Easter here was a pleasure I never ex- 
pected to enjoy but my leave came due exactly at 
the right time for that and here I am. 

Can you make out this script — the blamed pen 
is scandalously a failure — more like a quill tooth- 
pick than a pen. 

I am visiting two good friends, a Dr. and Mrs. 
Wheeler (the doctor was in the Legion with me un- 
til last Sept. when he was too seriously wounded to 
continue service and is now being medically dis- 
charged), and they are giving me a mighty fine time. 
M}^ leave expires next Friday but that is too miser- 
able a fact to think or worry over and I'm forgetting 
it for the time being anyway. 'Twill come all too 
,soon as it is. 

The Easter throngs were very interesting. We 
took a stroll along the boulevards in the afternoon 
and enjoyed watching the crowds immensely. 
There are ofiicers in the uniforms of all the Allied 
nations and they made the crowds bright and gay- 
colored, for as a general rule here now the feminine 
portion is rather sombrely dressed. Paris is not the 
live and gay city it is in times of peace. Black 
gowns are almost the rule instead of the exception 
and every one seems quiet and saddened. Small 
wonder for that too when one considers the awful 
losses of these past 21 months of conflict. There 
aren't many French homes which have not met their 
loss and sorrow. 

Wounded officers and soldiers are all about the 
city — many such pitiable sights too. One sees 



EDMOND GENET 161 

blind or lame soldiers being led carefully along. It 
stabs one's very heart, — there are so many. 

This is a beautiful time to be in Paris for spring 
has opened out all the trees and flowers and the 
gardens and parks are simply glorious in their colors 
and brilliancy. 

The piano at the hotel has found a very affection- 
ate friend in me. It surely seemed a relief to run 
my fingers over the ivories and sound the old famil- 
iar chords again. How glad I'd be to have you here 
to warble some of those old songs for me ! You 
wouldn't have to be asked twice, would you. Star ? 
Of course not ! 

When I passed the wonderful opera-house yester- 
day my thoughts were of you and I said to myself : 
*' There's where J. H. is going to startle Paris some 
of these days." Oh, I've got high hopes for you, 
dear Star. There's nothing like aiming high for 
then the shot will surely hit away above the middle. 

I do hope you all spent a glorious Easter. I'd 
have sent you flowers, you know, but couldn't find 
the kind I know you like. I was looking for carrot 
tops! Don't get mad now, cherie, I didn't mean 
that, you know. 

Now isn't that like a man.^ There's an amaz- 
ingly pretty girl writing at the other desk in this 
room and I just can't keep my eyes from roaming 
in her direction. She wonH look ! Isn't that horrid 
of her ? There ! She almost did ! There now — 
I'm neglecting you and that's decidedly impolite, 
but — I only looked for a minute so you won't care, 



162 WAR LETTERS 

will you ? Paris is so chuck-full of fascinating bits 
of feminine ruffles and lace — and blackened eyes, 
rouged cheeks, and bewitching carmine lips. A 
poor chap like me with a uniform on has to get 
quite dizzy dodging them all, don' cher know ? It's 
really deucedly trying, bah jove ! 

Some of the English officers with their fashion- 
able uniforms and strappings and their canes and 
their aristocratic airs do give me painful giggles at 
times. 

This must be quits until my next, Jeannette. I 
can't afford to miss the delightfulness of this glori- 
ous day — or that already shortening furlough. 

Best wishes to the family and considerable affec- 
tion to yourself. 

Ever sincerely yours, 

Edmond. 



Regiment de Marche de la Legion Etrangere, 

ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 

Secteur postal 109, France. 

April, 1916. 

"There's that old 'phone again, Jeannette, do 
answer it ! " 

"Oh, hang it all, Ma, I'm busy." 

At 'phone :—"Hel-lo.? H-e-1— lo.? Who's this?" 

Tiny, faint, far-away voice: "Hello, hello, is this 
Halstead's.?" 

"Yes, but please talk louder." 

"This is Genet, Edmond Genet in France. 
Who's that?" 



EDMOND GENET 163 

"Goodness gracious, Edmond ! This is Jean- 
nette. Where are you, Edmond?" 

"Bon jour, Star, I'm in France. Just called up 
to chat a bit with you. Lord, but it's great to hear 
your musical chirp again ! " 

"Well, if you aren't the nerviest! Why, you're 
not really in France, are you ? " 

"Sure I am, adorable Star, I'm at the front, too, 
just in rear of the first line. But we'll have to talk 
fast as I haven't got more than a mint of money to 
pay for this call." 

"You've taken all my breath away, Edmond. I 
can't talk." 

"Well, sing then, Jeannette. I'm absolutely 
gone, I know, but c'est la guerre. I swallowed a 
German shell last night and it has gone to my head. 
Say, Star, sing me, * Juste un peu d'amour,' you 
know that." 

"Silly boy, I haven't got my notes and the piano 
is in the next room." 

"What's that.^ — Gee, Star, central just told me 
the bill's up to 50 dollars now. Guess we'll have to 
ring off pretty soon — but aren't you going to send 
me a kiss.^" 

"Horrid thing!" 

"But say, dear Star, let me tell you about that 
permission I was thinking of getting to Paris this 
week." 

"Well.?" 

"I've got a month to wait yet as there are quite 
a number still ahead of me. I'll get it some time 



164 WAR LETTERS 

in May if the permissions aren't suspended again 
before mine is due on account of other probable 
Spring activities. Isn't that rotten luck? Now 

I'll miss visiting Dr. and Mrs. , my friends 

there, who asked me to stay with them. They will 
probably sail for the States by May first. It's 
mighty hard to keep a rein on my impatience but 
I guess I'll have to do so a few weeks longer. 

"Oh, yes, beloved Etoile, how is the play pro- 
gressing.^ I sure wish I could be there to accept 
that offer as your manager. You're a mighty hard 
proposition to manage though, I'll warrant that. 
How I pity your poor hard-laboring Dad ! ' Her 
First Assignment ! ' Hump ! I hope it won't be 
your last, Jeannette. Let's hope it is the debut of 
a brilliant starry future. That's the right way to 
look at it, isn't it ? 

"You didn't say anything about a salary in con- 
nection with that managership. What do I get out 
of it if I accept ? It's a mighty prominent job and 
very difficult to fill, so the salary should be pretty 
large. Besides I want a dollar Amer. beauty rose 
in my buttonhole every day. That has to go with 
the salary." 

"Nonsense! A violet will do just as well." 

" Stingy one ! 

"Jeannette, here's one for you — 

* Give me a sly flirtation, 
By the Hght of a chandelier. 
With music to play in the pauses 
And nobody very near. 



EDMOND GENET 165 

But, being poor, we must part, dear. 
And love, sweet love, must die; 
Thou wilt not break thy heart, dear; 
Neither, I think, shall I.' 

"How's that, — but don't take it seriously for I 

couldn't bear to part with you, wonderful Star." 

" Taisez-vous, silly boy, how you do rave !" 

"I know, Jeannette, but it's in the blood. Our 

kitten acted the same way when it was young. 

We're having real Spring weather now — showers, 

showers, showers, and then some more 

? showers, naturally. Miss Inquisitive. This 



A. M. it even called quits and snowed a few showers." 

"He, he! Ha, ha, ha, ha ! " 

"What are you giggling at, Jeannette .^^ You 
can't see my face. 

"Lord, that 'phone bill is mounting to boiling- 
point. Star, dear, so we simply must ring off. I'll 
call up again from Berlin when we get there." 

Faint voice in 'phone: — "Au revoir, Edmond." 

"Hello, you there still, Jeannette.^ Au revoir 
jusq'a une autre fois — au revoir " 

Click ! — connection's broken. 

Yours sincerely, Edmond. 

Republique Frangaise. 

Roosevelt Hotel, Paris, 
Thursday, April 27tli, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

This is my last day here this time. I have to 
take an early train out to-morrow morning. The 



166 WAR LETTERS 

permission has been altogether deHghtful. Dave 
and his wife have been just lovely to me — doing 
everything they could to make my visit as pleasur- 
able as possibly it could be. I have just come in 
with them from having dinner down-town in one of 
the swell hotels. 

Monday night a young American newspaper 
reporter who is at the hotel (he was reformed from 
the Legion some while ago because of a wound), 
by the name of Rockwell, took me to the theatre — 
a musical review at the Folies Bergere. It was 
excellent. 

The days since Easter dawned have been delight- 
ful — even a trifle too warm for any real hustling. 
I have simply had a lovely furlough in every way. 

This morning, among other things, I stopped in 
at the oflfice of the New York Sun and introduced 
myseK to Mr. Grundy, the head there. He has 
heard of me and I of him through one of the other 
fellows in the Legion and he was very pleased to see 
me. If you or any one ever has a necessity to cable 
to me you can, if you wish, cable to him and he can 
arrange and forward the message quite quickly to 
me. He offered to do the same for me if I ever had 
to cable home. 

Enclosed is a pretty good likeness of your French 
"poilu." I had it taken this time and was able to 
get them finished by this morning. They only cost 
me three francs the dozen, which is about sixty 
cents and quite cheap. 

To-night I hope to get a last and excellently sound 



EDMOND GENET 167 

slumber in a real bed before going out to-morrow 
where Heaven alone knows what's in store. There 
ought to be a violent French offensive at least by 
next June if not more likely in May. IVe been 
pretty fortunate in getting permission before May 
because I feel confident that the permissions will be 
suspended before May is well along — perhaps for 
nearly all Summer too. The war may not be over 
before next Fall — if then. 

The U. S. Army attache is staying here at the 
Roosevelt. He is a Captain Parker and very pleas- 
ant. I met him through Mrs. Wheeler the other 
night and he plied me with questions as to our life 
in the Legion. 

My next missive will be from the front. I wish 
I had about a week more here, but these six days 
have been sufficiently fine to pay up for all past 
waiting, so I can't kick. 

With best wishes and love to you and all. 
Your loving "poilu," 

Edmond. 

Regiment de Marche de la Legion Etrangere, 
ler Bat., 4eme Cie. 
Secteur postal 109, France. 
May 9th, 1916. 

My dear Rivers, 

To-day, one year ago, the Legion made one of 
the most brilhant and successful attacks at Arras 
and so this is a sort of fete-day even though we are 
on the fine. Of course, being with the 3e de 
Marche of the Premier Reg. at that time, I wasn't 



168 WAR LETTERS 

in that attack. It was the 2e Reg. which carried 
off that honor. The 3e de Marche was much 
farther south at that time. 

Your news concerning my Champagne letter 
sounds mighty encouraging. I sure hope you 
have been able to place it and for a really creditable 
amount too. I'm sure it will never bring anywhere 
near 300 but it ought to bring between 10 and 75. 
I'm waiting to hear definitely about it to determine 
what you can best do with what it brings. You 
can judge best, knowing the quickest what it brings, 
how much to send me. I suppose I could have 
made it mighty "yellow" if I had done what one 
other Amer. fellow, who deserted after the Cham- 
pagne affair and is now in the States, did. He 
made himself a big hero by putting in a lot of things 
he or the Legion never did at all and his story was 
decidedly and vividly "yellow." Perhaps you have 
already read his article, for a friend in O writes me 
of having read it. I simply put down what we 
did do from start to finish in that campaign and my 
personal feelings and impressions from what I 
actually saw and did. There's no fairy-tale in it 
anywhere so it's not as "yellow" as it would be if 
there was. 

... I simply won't ask any girl to become en- 
gaged to me until I'm able to marry her almost 
directly afterward. I can't beheve that I have 
any right to ask a girl to tie herself up to me as a 
fiancee when I'm not in the position to marry. If 
she isn't going to wait when we're not engaged, then 



EDMOND GENET 169 

she isn't going to wait if we are and I'm not going 
to ask her to do so either. Am I right, Rivers ? 



There ought to be exciting things occurring along 
this front before July. I only hope the next six 
months will be one awful, wonderful Hell — that 
we'll drive the blamed Boches back to where they 
came from and then they'll cry "Camarade'* in 
such earnest that we'll be celebrating le jour de la 
Paix by the end of October at the latest. There 
ought to be some hard driving before that much- 
loved peace comes anyway. I only wish I could 
face the Boches under the Stars and Stripes in- 
stead of the Tri-color, but, — will 1? 

The very best of luck, dear brother, for the future. 
I know how mighty discouraged you are but things 
just can't continue as they are now forever. Luck 
has got to come. Best wishes to all the good 
friends. 

Your affectionate brother, 

Edmond. 

May 20tli, 1916. 
I haven't much time to write now but will scrib- 
ble a few lines. 

Kindly notice the girdle around my waist. Only 
the glorious Legion wears that. It's four yards 
long, a very pretty light blue, and we wind into it. 
Out at the front it isn't worn much for reasons of 



170 WAR LETTERS 

convenience of our own. The best way to wind into 
it is to put one end around a convenient tree and 
turn 'til it's over and you're rather dizzy. Some 
class ! The metal helmet weighs about 5 kilos. 

There's a rifle inspection at hand so I've got to 
close and shine up the wife. If I do say it myself 
I've got one of the best-looking and cleanest rifles 
in the company and she has seen 15 months' actual 
service au front. I believe in complete preparedness. 

All best wishes and regards to every one. 
Your loving brother, 

Edmond. 



FRANCE 

AVIATION-^THE ESCADRILLE LAFAYETTE 

1916-1917 



Roosevelt Hotel, Paris, 
May 31st, 1916. 

A. M. 

Dear little Mother, 

Stopped here overnight and part of to-day on my 
route to Dijon where I join the French Aviation 
Corps as pilot (eleve-pilote) . I haven't time now 
to go into particulars. I'm out of the Legion for 
good after a long long struggle to get this transfer 
through— ever since last summer. I'll write partic- 
ulars from Dijon and send you my new address as 
I don't know it yet. I may be at Dijon only a few 
days. 

... All love and best wishes. 

Your loving son, 

Edmond. 

Roosevelt Hotel, Paris, 
May 31st, 1916. 

Dear Star, 

Stopped off here last night on my way to the 
French Aviation Corps at Dijon. Have just trans- 
ferred from the glorious Legion to the Aviation 
Corps. I go on to Dijon this afternoon. 

Wish me all good luck, Jeannette.^ I'm m the 
best branch of the service now and going to "make 

good." 

Faithfully yours, 

Edmond. 

173 



174 WAR LETTERS 

Camp d'Aviation, Buc, 
June 5th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

My letter from the Roosevelt at Paris on May 
31st should be a big surprise for you for that will 
be the first news you will receive that I have even 
been trying to enter the French aviation corps, let 
alone being actually in it. I had been trying, 
through every possible source, ever since last 
October and have only kept it to myself and the 
few good friends over here who have helped me do 
it because I wanted to surprise you all if I did suc- 
ceed and I hardly expected to succeed anyway, 
which, had that happened, would only have dis- 
appointed you as well as myself. Well, I'm in now 
and to-day arrived at the camp here to begin study- 
ing to fly. That ought to take me from three to 
five months of good, earnest, steady work and I'm 
in to "do or die." 

I officially entered the aviation corps the 22nd 
of May but the papers were delayed, etc., so that 
I didn't even know of my success until the 29th, 
when the orders came to the Legion for me to 
leave for the aviation depot at Dijon the next morn- 
ing. My happiness at that news I can't describe. 
It seemed all like a dream — too good and sudden to 
possibly be true but it was, dear Mother, and my 
long hard service in the Legion came to an end the 
next day. Another fellow from N. Y. by the name 
of Chatkoff who has been in the Legion since the 
start of the war was changed at the same time and 



EDMOND GENET 175 

we met and have been together ever since. We 
stopped off at Paris, as you know from my letter, 
on our way to Dijon and I saw Dave and Mrs. 
Wheeler and some of the others. We left for 
Dijon that afternoon getting there early the follow- 
ing morning. I would have written from there but 
we were too busy getting fixed out the thirty hours 
we were there. Last Sat. noon we were sent away 
to come here to Buc (only a short distance from 
Paris) and we had to go through Paris to get here 
so stayed over Sat. night with Mr. and Mrs. Guer- 
quin and yesterday was wdth the fellows. Sun. 
night I stayed at Truchet's hotel. 

Dave and Mrs. Wheeler sailed on Saturday, so 
of course I couldn't see them yesterday. I hope 
you see them some time somehow after they ar- 
rive. 

It was an under-secretary in the French office of 
Foreign Affairs, a Mon. de Sillac, Dr. Gros, head of 
the American Ambulance, Dave, and various others 
who helped push me through to this. I saw Dr. 
Gros when I was on leave in April and he was ex- 
tremely amiable, said he had heard about me, and 
helped me make my 2nd demand to the Minister 
of War for my transfer. It needed a big effort and 
plenty of high influence to get out of the Legion. 
That was our chief obstacle but, thanks to Dr. 
Gros and de Sillac, it was overcome. 

Now I'm at the aviation school at Buc and ex- 
pect to begin, earnestly and whole-heartedly, within 
a day or so. 



176 WAR LETTERS 

My address is, until further notice, — 

Edmond C. C. Genet, Eleve-pilote, 

Franco-American Escadrille, 

le Group e d'Aviation. 

Camp d'Aviation, Buc . 

France. 

Probably I'll be sent around to several different 
aviation camps before I'll get through training and 
get my brevet (pilot's certificate) but letters will 
always be forwarded to me no matter where I 
am. I expect to be here for at least three months 
anyway. 

I sent a cable yesterday through Mr. Grundy, of 
the N. Y. Sun, to Uncle Clair for him to please 
cable me fifty dollars. I simply must have that 
much to get fixed out with a uniform, shoes and 
other necessities of wear and use. We get fitted 
out with everything necessary for flying, but we 
have to buy our own uniforms, shoes, etc. I also 
need to get some sort of a suitcase or bag to carry 
my things in. 

There are ten of us here in Buc. Actually at the 
front with their brevets are about twenty, with five 
or six others at other training camps so we're 35 in 
all. Lots of fellows have come in from the Amer. 
Ambulance, a few from civil life, and about half 
are, Hke myself from the Legion or the 170th Reg. 
There's one mighty fine young fellow by the name of 
Beal from Pa. and Washington, D. C, who got into 
the French cavalry early last year. He is, next to 



EDMOND GENET 177 

Dave, the best one I've met over here of the Amer. 
fighters. 

IVe got to pay for all letters I write to the States 
now — five cents apiece so that's going to be a nui- 
sance as well as an asset to my expenses. I do get 
paid a franc more a day here at the school than I 
got in the regular service but that isn't much. 
Please don't beheve though, dear Mother, that I'm 
going to hit up any pace now as I'm not. I've just 
got to have some money to get decently installed 
and the returns later should far more than pay for 
the outlay now. 

This is the most dangerous branch of the service. 
Mother, but it's the best as far as future is con- 
cerned and if anything does happen to me you all 
surely can feel better satisfied with the end than if 
I was sent to pieces by a shell or put out by a bullet 
in the infantry where there are 75 out of a 100 
possibiHties of your never hearing of it. The glory 
is well worth the loss. I'd far rather die as an avi- 
ator over the enemy's lines than find a nameless, 
shallow grave in the infantry, and I'm certain you'd 
all feel better satisfied too. We won't look for 
trouble though, dear Httle Mother, yet. 

If you can circulate my address among some of 
the friends I'll be much obliged as I'll not be able 
to write as many letters now as I did in the infantry 
service. A httle notice in the Ossining Citizen or 
the Register^ if Rivers can put one in, might be 
good to show my friends there where I am now so 
they won't write to me to the Legion. 



178 WAR LETTERS 

There's lots of possibility that all we Americans 
serving here in France will get 48 hours off over the 
4th of July and be given a big banquet by the Amer. 
Chamber of Commerce at Paris. We're all looking 
forward to it and the American newspapers there 
are planning to help us get it. There ought to be 
a mighty big lot of us — many more than there were 
last year. Last year, as it was, we of the 1st 
Regiment got there 2 days too late to attend the 
banquet on the night of the 4th. It will be far 
better planned this time so that shouldn't occur. 

We have very comfortable barracks here and I 
guess we'll be O. K. for the rest of the time — here 
or anywhere — in the aero service. One meets the 
best class of fellows in this branch and we're appre- 
ciated for being what we are, — gentlemen, Ameri- 
cans, and aviators. 

Wish me all luck, dear httle Mother, in my new 
work. It means lots to me — perhaps my whole 
future and I'm in to win. 

Ecole d'Aviation Militaire de Buc, 
June 8th, 1916. 

My dear Rivers, 

You will learn either from Mom or Uncle Clair 
of my change to the aviation — before you get this. 
That memorable date was, by strange coincidence, 
on Memorial Day (May 30th). I. could scarcely 
beheve the good news for, though I had been trying 
to get transferred ever since last Fall, I hardly 
expected it was possible on account of the difficulty 



EDMOND GENET 179 

in getting out of the Legion on any pretext. That 
is one reason I've never said anything to you all in 
my letters. The other is because I wanted to sur- 
prise you if I did change which I rather guess I have 
succeeded in doing, — surprise you, I mean. Well, 
I'm at last where I've wanted to be and I ought to 
be a full-fledged pilot aviator, if all goes well and 
good luck keeps with me, within four months. 

I certainly am mighty well contented to be out 
of the Legion. I can't say much against it but com- 
pared with aviation it's decidedly back in the shade. 
Aviation is far more dangerous and all that, but 
it's well worth the risks and, as I wrote to Mom, I'd 
far rather be killed as an aviator than as an infantry 
soldier and you all would feel far better satisfied too. 
Besides that if I am killed you'll be certain to know 
about it very soon if not immediately afterward, 
whereas were I killed in the line service there are 
lots of chances you'd never hear a thing about it. 

This is by far the best branch of the service. The 
rewards are great and we're treated with respect 
and plenty of consideration. Besides, the best 
class of men are to be found here and that means 
a great deal. 

All the Americans are together in what is known 
as the Franco-American escadrille d'aviation. Of 
course there are many now at the front but they are 
all together. There are about twenty doing actual 
service at the front and about fifteen still train- 
ing. Ten of the latter are still here. I'm one of 
those. Six of us all began last Monday. The other 



180 WAR LETTERS 

four have been here a few weeks. We're treated 
finely here, have excellent quarters, the food is 
good and, except for the uniform and other personal 
clothes which we buy ourselves, we're fitted out 
extremely well. 

The Americans are pushed along as rapidly as 
possible. We're sent direct here to begin actual 
flying instead of being held at the aviation school 
in Dijon to learn more thoroughly about the 
motors. I was there only a day and a half to get 
fitted out and photographed, etc. The course here 
ought not to take more than four months and then 
we'll take the test for our pilot's license after which 
we'll be sent to another school — probably at Pau 
to finish up with target shooting with the mitrail- 
leuse on the aeroplane, etc., after which we'll join 
the others at the front. I don't think the war will 
be over by the time or before we have a chance to 
get a crack at the Boches from aloft. Now that 
I'm in aviation I don't care much when the old 
scrap ends. I want the experience now before I 
have to quit and return to the old U. S. A. This 
may mean my future. Rivers, and anyway it means 
further to me than the duration of this war. 

We have to turn out at 3.30 every mornmg as fly- 
ing hours are from 4 to 8 A. M. and 4 to 8 p. M. All 
other hours we have to ourselves. Of course the 
weather counts mostly on the work, for no flying is 
attempted here at the school on too windy or rainy 
days. Accidents are too frequent, as it is, on good 
days. 



EDMOND GENET 181 

What will, or rather how will any of us ever get 
along in the service of the States after the war, 
with Germans and Germans as officers over us? 
That's some proposition, isn't it, Rivers ? 

Dave and Mrs. Wheeler sailed for the States last 
Saturday. I sure hope they meet no "U "-boats. 
'Twould be miserable luck to Dave if, after going 
through all he did over here in the bloody Legion, 
to be pulled under on his way back by a German 
submarine. 

ficole d'Aviation Militaire 
de Buc, France, 
June 9th, 1916. 

My dear Rod., 

I'm as happy as a lark and mighty well contented 
to be out of the famous Legion though I haven't 
much to say against it. The Legion was fine, — 
it's the best regiment in France and one finds fine 
companions there (rough, of course, on the surface, 
with the exception of the Americans and English, 
but true just the same), particularly Dave W., but 
infantry life is away in the shade alongside of the 
best service going, — aviation. This is what one 
can call the real thing. This is sport with all the 
fascination and excitement and sporting chances 
any live fellow could ever wish for. This brightens 
up the future, it means something after the war 
and, as I've told Mom and Rivers, if I don't get 
through then at least you'll all know about it at 
the time and you'll be better contented with the 
result and I'll earn a far more glorious end than I 



182 WAR LETTERS 

ever would in the line service. Of course there are 
lots of chances of being shot or hanged in Germany 
if any of us American daredevils ever are so un- 
fortunate as to fall into their hands alive, but even 
that is a glorious death. The Bodies certainly 
have it in for us and particularly the American vol- 
unteer flying corps. The fellows in it who are at 
the front have done too splendid service against 
them for them to feel amiable toward any of us. 
I'll bet anything that the Kaiser has issued an order 
for a special form of death to be doled out to us 
if we're caught. 

My oflScial farewell was taken of the Legion on 
May 22nd but I didn't know anything about it 
until the order came on the 29th and I hiked out 
early the next a. m. (some Memorial Day for me) 
with a merry heart, met Chatkoff, another Amer. 
from N. Y. who has been in the Legion since the 
beginning of the scrap and who got his order to 
change the same time as I did, and we left for Dijon 
but managed to stop over most of the 31st at Paris, 
and then we continued our journey to Dijon that 
night. We only stayed there until noon of the 3rd 
to get signed up, etc., and then we came back with 
two other Americans, Dowd (Legion man and later 
in the 170th but wounded at Champagne and just 
over his convalescence when he changed to the 
aviation) and Beal, from Pa. and in the French 
cavalry for 11 months (one of the best chaps I've 
met over here) to Paris, stayed there until Mon- 
day noon and then came here to the aviation 
school at Buc. 



EDMOND GENET 183 

We'll be here from three to four months, I judge, 
although the Americans are liked very much and 
are pushed along as rapidly as is possible. We 
stay here anyway until we earn our brevets (pilot's 
license) and then there'll be a month or so at Pau 
with target practice with the mitrailleuses in the 
machines we're to use at the front, and after that 
— the front, — a place we're all very anxious to get 
to as soon as possible. 

We only work here from 4 to 8 a. M. and 4 to 8 
p. M. The rest of the time is completely to ourselves 
for sleep or anything we may wish to do. It's far, 
far from being like the Legion where one is usually 
lucky if he gets six good hours' sleep out of every 
twenty -four. "I love the cows and chickens but 
this is the life, this is the life — " A great deal, 
too, depends on the conditions of the weather here. 
We don't attempt to fly unless the wind is very 
slight and there's little or no rain. Of course that 
won't be so after we get our brevets but while we're 
eleves we go carefully. I'd hate to break my neck 
here at the school after sixteen months at the actual 
front with the bloody Legion, but more than one 
fellow has done so here while an eleve. Just two 
or three days before we arrived two machines 
crashed together in the air here and one el^ve was 
killed almost instantly. This is no favored sport 
when it comes to risks by any means. Wish me 
good luck, that's all, Rod. 

Must quit now as it's time to go out for work. 
Write and tell me I'm a nervy fool for I'm afraid 
I am. 



184 WAR LETTERS 

P. S. Give my best to that black-eyed dream of 
the South. Don't tell her what a reckless, untamed 
brother-in-law she'll get or she may get alarmed and 
perhaps think you have a touch of the same disease. 
It can't be hereditary unless there's a streak from 
some great-great-great-, etc., etc., grandparent that 
somehow lodged itself into my system, for dear old 
Dad was never thus. . N'est-ce pas ? 

The Kid. 



ficole d'AvIation Militaire, 

Buc, S. et O., France, 

June 17th, 1916. 

Adorable Star! 

This is the life ! The school here (only a short 
distance S. W. of Paris and therefore a decidedly 
convenient situation) is one of the preparation 
schools of aviation now running in full force under 
the regime of government. I expect to be here 
from three to four months before I get my brevet 
(pilot's license) and then there'll be two or three 
more months of advanced training at three or four 
other schools before I become a good enough avia- 
tor to risk a valuable machine with at the front. 
(An aviator's life is but a secondary matter. Lives 
are easily replaced in war times whereas machines 
are expensive articles to lose.) 

There are eleven of us American scamps here at 
the school, several others are training elsewhere 
and about twenty more are on the front and doubt- 
less you have already heard and read of their 



EDMOND GENET 185 

splendid exploits around the Verdun battle front. 
They've done wonderful work. We're all mem- 
bers of the Franco- American Flying Corps and all 
mighty proud of it too. 

We're all looking hopefully forward to a glad 
blow-out over the Fourth of July in gay Paris. 
We expect a 48-hour leave for the happy occasion 
and I'm saving up the coin to get a bad headache 
for the Fifth! Oh wandering and imprudent youth, 
why dost thou thus ? ! ! ! Never mind, like Christ- 
mas, New Year's, St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, 
Birthdays and all the rest, it comes but once in 
every twelve months, Sundays included. 

I've only half smashed one machine so far and 
so have an abundance of hopes and expectations 
for the future. This is sure a fascinating life. 

Must fermer now as the bugle just croaked for 
hittin' the hay. I blow you a good-night kiss. 
Star dear, and you can't slap me for it neither. 
Bon soir. Yours a£Fectionately, 

Edmond, 
£leve-jpilote. 



ficole d'AvIation Militaire, 

Buc, S. et O., France, 

June 20th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

Your letters of May 16th, 24th and 30th have all 
come this month and it's high time I recompensed 
you with an answer. The one of Decoration Day 
came to-day. Though you will know by now, you 



186 WAR LETTERS 

didn't know, while you were writing that, that your 
wild "third" was with Dave and Mrs. W. that day 
and the next, seeing them for the final time on this 
side of the briny bubbles and also was on his way 
from being a hardened legionnaire to become a 
merry aviator. How often you all must wonder — 
"What's he into now!" 

Do you realize. Mother, that no one over here 
has been told by me of my real method of getting 
over here? I may have been very wrong in keep- 
ing all that to ourselves, in never telling Dave or 
Capt. Parker or any of the fellows from the States, 
but I could never decide convincingly enough that 
telling them would help. No doubt in Dave's 
case it would have — perhaps in Capt. Parker's 
also; but I've only known him since Easter time 
when I was introduced to him and his wife by Mr. 
Wheeler. Now Dave is in the States and if I do 
tell him I can only do so by letter. Will that be 
right or, if you see them, or Rivers, would it not 
be better for you or him to tell them ? Every time 
an article comes out about me such as this last one 
written by Rockwell (which, by the way, is a sur- 
prise to me entirely) it simply cuts into me like a 
knife, over the fact that they do believe I quit the 
N. O. K. and print it that way. . . . Do such 
things go through the Sec'ty of State, which now is 
Lansing? I believe they do. Is it best to wait 
until this is all over and I'm due to return or have 
gotten back? Somehow, against lots of hard rea- 
soning, I can't believe that is the best plan. "R" 



EDMOND GENET 187 

won't be President so there isn't that advantageous 
mark to count on later. If he was the chief execu- 
tive there would be lots of hopes I feel sure. I'm 
getting thoroughly distracted over the whole affair. 
I could get a commission right now in the Vol. 
forces of America if it weren't for that. There are 
lots of things I have been forced to let go and lots 
of things I will have to lose on account of that. 
That is one of the main reasons why I am almost 
convinced the matter should be taken up now. 

Have you ever mentioned in your letters to Mrs. 
Wheeler my situation.? They've never said any- 
thing to me about it but I thought perhaps you had 
and they never wanted to say anything to me about 
it as long as I kept silent. I'm afraid I was blamed 
blue that last Sunday I was with them, May 31st. 
Mrs. W. noticed it and tried to get the reason out of 
me. I think she thought I was love-sick or some 
such nonsense but I wasn't. I was feeling mighty 
miserable over that blamed secret and also the fact 
that I felt it was the last time I would ever see them 
clouded over my cheerfulness considerably. I don't 
know why I should have felt that latter, but I did, 
dear Mother. 

If anything should happen to me over here. 
Mother, it would be so much easier to meet if I 
knew I was O. K. with my own loved country. I'm 
afraid that is an impossible privilege though. The 
only thing which ever impressed me about the 
burial service is the question, "Oh Death, where 
is thy sting?" I know now that it would hold 



188 WAR LETTERS 

its sting for me if I met it with that blot upon my 
record. 

The flying is progressing fairly well though slowly 
on account of a too large class. It keeps us from 
getting much more than two trials a day — some- 
times less. 

There's lots of danger of being radiated, that is, 
dropped or "canned" from the aviation while at 
the schools. Only about 40 out of every hundred 
are allowed to go through — the very best, of course — 
so one has to keep mighty well up to the chalk- 
line and watch out for accidents, etc., if he is de- 
sirous of continuing his career as an aviator. I 
most assuredly am, 

July 8th, 1916. 

That was funny about the missing first page of 
my letter for it certainly wasn't my fault, I'm sure. 
I can only believe that when the censors examined it 
they must have left out the first sheet by accident. 
They seem to keep whole letters from me quite fre- 
quently from what I can tell. That's far worse. 

The Fourth wasn't as much of a holiday for us 
at this school as we expected it would be. We were 
only let off from eight that morning until working 
time (4.30) in the afternoon to go into Paris to 
attend the memorial service held at the Amer. 
Church of the Holy Trinity for our first Amer. 
aviator killed at the front, Victor Chapman, of 
whom you no doubt have read in the papers lately. 
The service was short but very nice and practically 



EDMOND GENET 189 

all the American colony of Paris attended. Also 
most of the aviation fellows and the Amer. Ambu- 
lance chaps were there with the Ambassador and 
Consul-General and their respective staffs. Fol- 
lowing that most of us attended the usual 4th of 
July ceremony held at Lafayette's grave in the 
Picpus Cemetery. The latter was very interesting 
and impressive and the Speeches excellent. Chap- 
man's name was linked with that of Lafayette and 
the bond of good feeling between the sister republics 
was very strongly and excellently expressed. . . . 

You ought not to worry about my forgetting my 
Church duties. I attended early Communion at 
the Amer. Church the Sunday before last while I 
was in Paris and last Sunday, being the first 
one of the month, I attended the regular morn- 
ing ceremony and had Communion after. No, 
dear Mother, I'm not the kind to stay away from 
Church whenever I have an opportunity to go. I 
may even try to go in some Sunday mornings, when 
I can't get any longer leave, simply to go to Church. 
I'd very likely get permission for that very easily. 
It's only a short half -hour's run on the electric rail- 
way from Versailles (Buc is just a little ways from 
Versailles) to Paris, and I can get off at a station 
which is only five minutes' walk from the church. 

You can feel sure now. Mother, that whatever 
may happen to me in any way that the Franco- 
Amer. Flying Corps will take good care of me and 
notify you immediately. 'Twill be far different 
from my being in the Legion where you might never 



190 WAR LETTERS 

get any news of me at all. Dr. Gros has been most 
friendly to me and I'm doing my best to be polite 
and decent to him. He shook hands with me at the 
Church on the morning of the Fourth and, because 
I had gone around to call on him at his residence 
the preceding Sunday (unfortunately he was out of 
town then) to thank him for helping me to enter 
the corps, he seemed very pleased with me. I've 
got another very good friend in Captain Parker. 
His wife is very pleasant also. She wanted me to 
dine with them at noon on the Fourth but I had to 
decline. 

Your loving son, 

Edmond, 
£leve-aviateur. 

July 18th, 1916. 

If I wasn't so forgetful about birthday dates I 
certainly wouldn't have neglected yours; but I am, 
and so, dear Mother, you'll have to accept my affec- 
tionate wishes for many more birthdays to come 
now instead of when they should have come — on 
the 25th or before. 

Your letters reached me and I waited to reply 
only until after I had made my confession — for 
confession I did make last Sunday. No, I'm not a 
Catholic now nor did I confess to a priest. I'm 
referring to the confession I made to Capt. Parker of 
my coming over here, etc., etc. I tried to see him 
twice during the previous week by securing leave 
to Paris and finally, after missing him both times 



EDMOND GENET 191 

but seeing his wife the second time (the Fourteenth, 
which was Liberty Day in France) I received an 
invitation for dinner with them at the Roosevelt 
where they live for Sunday noon and then I did 
see him and made a straightforward and com- 
plete confession of my wrong-doings. He was 
mighty good about it and proved himself just the 
good friend I believed he was. He has given me 
excellent hopes for the future, Mother dear, not 
only in being able to clear myself and get that 
black blot erased, but for a big chance in the U. S. 
Aviation Corps when I get back. Capt. Parker 
assured me that my clean record before I came 
over and the bigger clean record I am making while 
here ought certainly to be very much in my favor 
when the time comes to clear up the bad part, but 
he advises that I await all action until I am finished 
with my service over here and assures me that if 
I return after two years' absence I cannot be held 
for punishment. That is vitally important. When 
I get back which will surely be after Jan. 8, 1917, 
anyway (that is the 2-year mark) I had best go 
straight to the N. Dept., give myself up, and with 
my continued clear record of service clear myself 
that way and get reinstated in the service — only 
in aviation instead of the former. Meanwhile 
Capt. P. is writing to a N. friend and indirectly 
getting advice from him as to a better or best course 
to pursue. He is being awfully fine to me and in- 
sists that I come to him at all times for advice and 
help, take a meal with them any time I may get 



192 WAR LETTERS 

to Paris and consider him my best friend over 
here which I am only too glad and grateful to 
do. I'm mighty, mighty glad that I did do the 
straight thing and went directly to him with my 
case. It was a big relief to get that load off my 
conscience. 

When I first got in last Sunday I went to Church, 
and then to see the Parkers. 

There was an enormous and very stirring parade 
in the morning in which practically all the Allies 
were represented by their crack troops, but I 
missed seeing it by getting to Paris at noon after it 
was all over. The troops received a tremendous 
ovation, especially the French (they always do) and 
the Russians and also the Scotch with their "piper'* 
bands. 

Your loving "third," 

Edmond, 
jSleve-aviateur AmSricain. 

August 9th, 1916. 
I am piloting the 50 h. p. Bleriots still, but expect 
to be put on the 60 h. p. ones either to-morrow or 
the day following. The weather has been excellent 
for flying lately and I have made short flights prac- 
tically at every dawn and sunset lately. As soon 
as I get on the 60 h. p. machines and do a few flights 
with them (they are not much different from the 
50 h. p. — only a little more powerful) I hope to do 
the required hour at 2,000 metres or over, and thus 
get rid of the first requirement for my license. Then 



EDMOND GENET 193 

I go to the Caudron biplanes and three weeks with 
those ought to fix me up to do the required three 
triangular voyages of 240 kilometres each. If I 
get through those O. K. I'll be a full-fledged military 
pilot and you, dear Mother, can understand how 
much that is going to mean to me. I've got a very 
creditable record at the school thus far, thanks to 
the kindly Providence, but there's no telling whether 
the good fortune will continue to the end. I can 
only hope so. 

August 14th, 1916. 

My last letter was written on the 9th if I remem- 
ber rightly. That was last Wednesday. We've 
had quite a bit of excitement — rather grim excite- 
ment — since. On Thursday I fell in a 50 h. p. 
Bleriot, smashed the machine into match-sticks, 
and got out of it alive. They carried me back to 
the school hospital in an auto. I had a jammed 
left hip, a strained left shoulder-blade and several 
minor cuts on my legs. If the life-belt with which 
I was fortunately strapped into the machine hadn't 
held I wouldn't be writing this now. As it was I 
got out all right and only spent until Saturday 
morning in the hospital. I'm still feeling pains 
around my hip, but can walk almost as well as nor- 
mally. I had just started up for a flight and the 
motor went wrong, wind got under my left wing, 
and I turned around and over on the other one. 
The machine was completely demolished. 

The next day (Friday) one of us met a far more 



194 WAR LETTERS 

serious fate. Perhaps you will have read all about 
it in the papers before this reaches you. Dennis 
Dowd, a fellow about 29, who hails from N. Y. and 
had practised law there for about two years before 
the war (he came over here at the outbreak and 
joined the Legion, changed to the 170th Regiment 
last Fall after the Champagne affair and was 
wounded there soon after), was instantly killed in a 
fall from about 500 metres in a Caudron biplane. 
It is hard to determine how it happened but it's 
thought that he must have fainted in the machine 
and thus lost all control. It has upset us all a 
good deal. Dowd was our star man here, and one 
of the best liked. He was within two or three 
weeks of finishing the course here also, which makes 
it worse. Besides that, he was engaged to a very 
attractive girl residing near Paris. They were to 
marry right after the war. 

To-morrow morning we are all to go into Paris 
to attend the funeral at the Amer. Church. The 
burial is being deferred until his parents in the 
States communicate their wishes about where he is 
to be interred. 

Such are the chances we all take in this game. 
It seems such a shame that Dowd, who has been 
through so much in this war, was so anxious to 
get to the front with the escadrille, and would have 
been one of the best pilots there, had to lose his life 
while in training at a school. Any one of us may 
meet the same fate though, dear Mother. I would 
rather find mine at the front while doing my part 



EDMOND GENET 195 

against the enemy. Who can look into the future 
though ? 

I went into Paris after work yesterday morning 
and was at the regular morning service at the Amer. 
Church of the Holy Trinity. Then I went over to 
the Amer. Ambulance to see Joseph Lydon, who, I 
had heard a few weeks ago, had been sent there to 
have his new leg-stump placed, but they told me 
yesterday, when I inquired to see him, that he had 
been sent to St. Cloud to a hospital there, so I've 
missed seeing him again. I'm afraid St. Cloud is 
a rather difficult place for me to get to. 

Yesterday I bought , for her 19th birth- 
day, which occurred in the last week of July, a 
little silk-and-leather card-case, with mirror, a place 
for powder and one for change. Don't you think 
that is a pretty serviceable gift ? 1 had her initials 
put on the outside also. The store mailed it to her 
for me. 

I thought, from your last letter, that Rod. had 
already gone to the Texan border. He writes that 
they may be sent soon. I saw in yesterday's paper 
that all the remaining militia of the States has been 
ordered to the border. I'm wondering if that 
means that both he and Rivers have left for the 
front. 

One of the fellows has just told a very amusing 
story. One of the French fellows here, while on a 
voyage with his aeroplane, fell into a tree top. 
The machine was smashed up and the pilot dropped 
out and down into a stone quarry below. Some- 



196 WAR LETTERS 

how he caught his feet in part of the tree, and then 
lost consciousness for a few minutes, hanging there 
head downward. When he came to the first thing 
he heard was a cry behind him, "Don't move!" 
There was a click and, turning his head, he saw a 
fellow behind him who had just snapped his pic- 
ture. Then the photographer assisted the pilot 
to get down safely. 

Your loving fils, 

Edmond, 
^leve-aviateur Americain. 

August 26th, 1916. 
Wednesday's mail brought your letter of the 1st. 
Unless something very unlooked-for and unhoped- 
for occurs within these next two weeks this will be 
one of the last letters you will get from me written 
from this school, as I am in one of the last classes 
and nearly ready to do the required feats of avia- 
tion to get my military brevet. On last Tuesday 
morning I finished with the Bleriot monoplanes by 
doing a spiral and a few other stunts which weren't 
altogether necessary, but which pleased the in- 
structors so much with my abilities as a pilot that 
the Chief Pilot, in placing me with the Caudron 
biplane classes, allowed me to skip the first class, 
in which the pupil is taken up for a few trips by the 
instructor to show him how to pilot the machine, 
which is heavier and much different from the Bleriot 
monoplane, and thus gets him more accustomed to 
the new machine, and let me go up alone in the 60 



EDMOND GENET igr 

h. p. Caudrons the first time after explaining how it 
worked. I did O. K. and was advanced to the 80 
h. p. machines the following day where I am at 
present, though nearly through. One lieutenant 
and I were treated the same and were the first in 
the school to go up alone for the first time with a 
Caudron. 

I ought to be doing the required spiral and hour 
at 2,000 metres this next week and then the three 
triangular voyages of 240 kilometres each directly 
afterward and thus end the course at this school 
and be a real pilote brevete. Then I'll have a 
couple of days or so of permission to Paris and then 
go to the next school to become a pilot of the ma- 
chine I'll use at the front — I expect and hope it will 
be a Nieuport biplane. It is the best of the fight- 
ing-machines and my record here ought to warrant 
my becoming a pilot of that particular machine, as 
all the best pilots can become Nieuport pilots and 
my record is mighty good here thus far. A lot of 
the Americans who are here could not pilot the 
Bleriot monoplanes, and thus won't have the same 
chance I have ahead of me unless they make very 
good later. 

If the wind goes down soon we'll fly this after- 
noon so I must close and get ready. I hope I'll 
be through here at Buc in a couple of weeks. Love 
and best wishes to you and all. 



198 WAR LETTERS 

Roosevelt Hotel, 

Paris, 
Sept. 6th, 1916. 

Your eminent "third'* is a full-fledged French 
aviator and also a member of the French Aero Club 
— hkewise by Saturday he expects to be a corporal 
and is feeling pretty joyful over the record he made 
out at Buc. Major Parker, who is acting as my 
dehghtful host while I am spending these four days 
of leave (Tues. to Sat. a. m.) has written to you and 
told you something about my record at the school 
and the regard the officers there hold for me, so 
'tis hardly necessary for me to go into any further 
details. Besides I am hurried this morning as I 
want to get out to Buc for a few hours to get some 
information for the major. 

Three very acceptable letters of yours are before 
me, but I shall answer them fully in a day or so — 
possibly not until I get to the next school which is 
to be the Nieuport school at Avord. 

Yesterday Mr. Grundy, of the iV. F. Sun^ took 
Paul Rockwell and me to a dinner, held in commem- 
oration of the battle of the Marne, by the Associ- 
ated English and French Press. One of the generals 
(Malleterre) who fought at the Marne (he lost a 
whole right leg there and got a smashed arm) spoke 
and was extremely interesting. 

My leave is up on Sat. a. m. I go back to Buc 
to get paid off andj signed off, etc., etc., and then 
leave for Avord. 

Boasting isn't my line. Mother, but I can't re- 



EDMOND GENET 199 

frain from saying that I made one of the best re- 
cords as a pupil at Buc that has been made. The 
Capt. told me I could be put down as a mighty good 
model for the rest of my Amer. comrades there. 
Oceans of love from 

Your loving son, 

Edmond, 
Aviateur Amiricain, 



Roosevelt Hotel, 

Paris, 

September 7th, 1916. 

My DEAR Rivers, 

The next time you write after getting this 
scribbled note (which, by the way, should be 
mighty soon after) you mustn't put "eleve" be- 
fore the aviateur Americain and you can put "cor- 
poral" in its place. I joyfully passed the require- 
ments for the military license and became a genuine 
aviator of the Franco-American Escadrille last 
Sunday. I'm likewise a member of the Aero Club 
de France and rank as corporal. Some start. 
Mom will most likely send you the letters Major 
Parker, with whom I am staying for these days of 
leave (4), kindly wrote her telHng her how well I 
did at Buc and what the oflScers there think of me. 
That will be sufficient to convince you all of my 
seriousness in this game. The end of this week I 
go to Avord to begin to pilot the famous little 
fighting-machine, the Nieuport. I'll be there at 
least a month. The game is just starting on its 



200 WAR LETTERS 

most interesting phase now and I'm past being a 
"rookie." 

If you have any intentions of running over here 
for a visit please let me know beforehand. I'm 
afraid a passport is a blamed difficult document to 
obtain in these times unless there's a very excellent 
reason given. BeHeve me, dear brother, I sure 
would love to see you. 

Division Nieuport, 

ficole d'Aviation Militaire, 

Pau, Pyrenees, France. 

September 12, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

Instead of going to Avord as I said I would in 
my letter from Paris last week I found out that the 
Pau school was much better than the one at Avord, 
so, with Major Parker, I went to see the Colonel 
in Paris and got permission from him to go to Pau 
instead. Yesterday I arrived after an all-night 
train ride from Paris via Bordeaux and now I am 
pretty well settled and expect to begin work this 
afternoon if the weather, which is very rainy-look- 
ing at present, permits. I stayed with the Major 
at the Roosevelt over Saturday night, after leav- 
ing Buc that afternoon, and also until late Sunday 
afternoon. My train left at 6 o'clock. Sunday 
morning Mrs. Parker went with me to the 11 
o'clock service at the American Church. She 
asked me for your address and said she would 
write to you to tell you what a bad, bad son you 
have over here. She is lovely. Mother, and both 



EDMOND GENET 201 

she and the Major are being mighty good to me. 
The Major insisted that I come to stay there with 
them every permission I may get to go to Paris 
and let them do anything for me which I may 
desire. I surely have been blessed with friends 
ever since I landed in this country. 

The country around here is very picturesque, 
although yesterday and to-day have been so cloudy 
and rainy that I really haven't yet seen it to its 
best advantage. On clear days they tell me the 
Pyrenees, at whose base this country is situated, 
are very plainly seen. We are in a big, broad val- 
ley, but the foothills of the Pyrenees are just south 
of us and their wooded slopes look very enticing. 
I am going to try to get over to them on foot or 
bicycle, and anyway, I shall see them pretty 
plainly when on flights. The aviation school is 
fully 8 miles from the town of Pau (Pau is quite a 
large place) and a little narrow-gauge railway con- 
nects the two places. The school is spread out 
quite a bit and divided into three or four different 
divisions. The main part is the ficole de Combat 
where I shall finish up before going to the front. 
Now I am in the Nieuport Division where the 
pupil first learns to pilot a Nieuport, the little 
avion de chasse which we pilot at the front later on. 

Our quarters are just as comfortable as those 
which we had at Buc — wooden barracks which are 
very well made, and we sleep in good iron beds and 
have a mattress, two warm blankets, two sheets 
and a pillow. How is that for army life ! I eat 



£02 



WAR LETTERS 



at a little restaurant near the camp. My pay is 
a little over forty cents a day. 

While I was in Paris on leave last week I had 
some very good photographs taken and will mail 
one to you just as soon as I get a supply of stamps 
of which I am lacking just at the present moment. 

German prisoners of war do a great deal of work 
about the camp here, and I was rather amused at 
a sign on a pump this morning where the water 
was drinkable. There was the French notice and 
then below was one in German — like this: 



Eau 
bonne a boire 



Drinkwasser 



The German prisoners all seem pretty well satis- 
fied to be on this side of the lines. They don't 
speak very heartily of their officers and their man- 
ner of treatment either. 

As soon as I become perfect as a pilot of the Nieu- 
port I'll be sent to a rapid-fire gun school not far 
from here to learn how to handle and shoot one. 
Then I return here to the School of Combat to 
"perfectionate" on the Nieuport and learn aerial 
tactics for fighting the Boches' machines. Then I'll 
do the loop-the-loop, vertical dives, the corkscrew 
drop, which looks as if the machine was whirling 
earthward completely out of control, fly upside 



EDMOND GENET 203 

down and vertically and all sorts of other aerial 
stunts. If I don't kill myself I'll be a thorough 
aviator and fit for the front. Three American fel- 
lows are just finishing that part this week and will 
soon go to the front to join the others there. I 
hope I can get there myself within three months. 

Best love and wishes to you and all, dear little 
Mother mine. Take the best care of yourself 
possible. 

Your loving son, 

Edmond, 
Pilote-aviateur, 



Roosevelt Hotel, 

63, Avenue d'lena, 

Paris. 

My dear Mrs. Genet, 

You will be glad to hear that your son has been 
making a fine record for himself as a soldier over 
here. 

His record in the Foreign Legion was excellent 
and now he has just passed his examination as an 
aviator-pilot and his officers speak highly of him. 
My wife and I have taken him under our wing, and 
I hope to see him rehabilitate himself by his good 
work here in France. 

You may count upon our looking after him. 
Very faithfully yours, 

Frank Parker 

{Major U. S. Cavalry, 

Observer with the French Armies). 



204 WAR LETTERS 

Division Nieuport, 
ficole d'Aviation Militaire, 
Pau, Basses-Pyrenees, France. 

September 20th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

My last letter was written to you on the twelfth 
and I remember I promised then to send you the 
picture which I had had taken in Paris just as soon 
as I got into Pau to buy stamps. I went in on 
Friday last and mailed the picture after which I 
wandered around the town to see what it is like. 
Not only is it much larger than I thought, but it's 
decidedly a very attractive place and extremely 
well kept and modern, with city-like stores and 
good hotels. I was quite surprised to find it so 
up to date. The principal church is a beautiful 
structure which in design gives one the impres- 
sion of the famous Notre Dame of Paris, but this 
edifice, of course, is much smaller and less imposing 
than the great cathedral which awes all travellers 
to the French capital. Another chief feature of 
Pau is the royal palace, a part of which now holds 
the biggest hotel, THotel de France, and this is a 
very striking building with beautiful gardens and 
fountains and a magnificent view to the southward 
where rise the lofty Pyrenees between France and 
Spain. Bears must be plentiful through these 
ranges because in to-day's paper I read of them 
coming down very much below their usual haunts 
and causing trouble among the sheep on the lower 
slopes around here. Just at sunrise is when the 
mountains seem most beautiful. They seem very 
rugged and impressive from here. 



EDMOND GENET 205 

This morning's mail brought me your welcome 
letter of August 24th. I've had very few letters 
from the States lately for some reason. 

My flying began here on the afternoon of last 
Wednesday when I started on the 60 h. p. Bleriot. 
I only had a few flights on that and was put on the 
Morane monoplane which I flew only four times 
and went so well that they pushed me along to the 
Nieuport which I commenced to fly last Saturday 
with poor luck that day as I turned one machine 
completely over on its back on the ground in the 
afternoon. I smashed the machine rather badly, 
but got out O. K. myself. Since then I have had 
better success and hope to be fairly expert by the 
first of the month. This morning under bad 
weather conditions I made seven flights with fairly 
decent results. Although the Nieuport is con- 
sidered the best machine to fly it is, in fact, one 
of the most difficult in many ways inasmuch as 
there are innumerable little tricks to learn before 
one can pilot it in the correct style. It is very 
difficult to land with, for with the least mistake it 
will turn right over — nose first. So far I like the 
little Morane monoplane-biplace with an 80 or 
110 horse-power Blerget rotary motor, the best of 
all the machines I've piloted. It is very unsafe, 
though, in bad weather, and difficult to manage 
in any sort of a bad wind. 

How characteristically thoughtful and dear of 
you, little Mother, to think of your poor far-away 
" third " when you came across that diamond of the 
Citizen ! Thank you a thousand times for I appre- 



206 WAR LETTERS 

date immensely the possession of such a treasure- 
able relic of the Citizen. I only wish I could be 
certain that the time isn't far off when I can place 
it on the right girl's finger, but it looks mighty far 
off just now. I wonder if the old Citizen would be 
appreciative of the fact that his namesake, fighting 
for his own loved country about 135 years after he 
came to ours, is possessor of his ring ? Perhaps he 
would. History has wrought a very strange coin- 
cidence. 

Don't be startled over the following bit of in- 
formation because thus far it isn't at all certain of 
materialization and even should it materialize it 
isn't such a dreadful matter anyway. Last week 
there came a request from the Minister of War for 
volunteer pilots to go to Roumania to fly there un- 
der the French Aerial Corps, but to aid the Rouma- 
nian army. I thought it all out from every possible 
view-point of which I could think and decided that 
it was a pretty good chance, and so volunteered. 
It is still too early a date since to expect any re- 
sponse but the chances are I won't be accepted be- 
cause I still have over a month of training before 
me — nearly two. At any rate if I am accepted 
and sent as soon as my training is complete, which 
ought to be along in the middle of November, I 
shall have the privilege of having a winter of active 
service there, which I might not have over on the 
front because I might be held in lazy reserve all 
winter in the rear on account of inactivity on the 
front during the cold weather. Also the chances 



EDMOND GENET 207 

of promotion are very likely quicker and better 
in service in a foreign country. That certainly 
proved to be so for the French Aviators who went 
to fly on the Russian front. They received all 
kinds of honors and decorations, etc. The mere 
fact of flying for two countries at the same time is 
enough to warrant double chances of promotion 
and decoration, and down in the Balkans all the 
Allied forces are at work together. There is, too, 
the big probability of Austria and Bulgaria being 
completely crushed by next Spring and then I'll 
have all that experience to back me up and the 
choice of coming back to fly on this front or of 
going to the Russian one for the great final setting 
toward the fall of Germany and the end of the whole 
blamed conflict. I most likely would prefer to 
return to this front for the final clash. Last, but 
not least, is the chance of an interesting and per- 
haps even an exciting trip to Roumania and the 
opportunity to study the war as it is down there 
and pick up a smattering of one or two of those 
languages down in those heated regions where 
blood seems to flow thicker than water. The 
trip would have to be via Russia (reached by water 
through the Baltic Sea) over Russia via rail to 
Odessa and thence by vessel to Roumania — a rather 
lengthy and sure-to-be-interesting trip in such times 
as these. There's nothing like seeing all of the 
world possible sans expense and that is only one of 
the minor reasons why I would like to be chosen to 
go. Do you blame me for volunteering now, dear 



208 WAR LETTERS 

little Mother ? I don't think you ought to anyway. 
Probably by the time I write you next I shall know 
for a surety whether the War Dept. will accept my 
good offers or not. I only hope they do. 

The enclosed article I think will interest you as 
well as inform you of the reason I have that cord 
under my shoulder in the photograph. It is the 
"fourragere" which we of the 1st Regiment of the 
Legion won last September at Champagne. I 
could have worn it ever since then, but only got one 
this last time I was in Paris and put it on. 

Best wishes to all and every kind of love to "ma 
belle mere" de 

Son aviateur fils, 

Edmond, 
Pilote-aviateur. 

September 26th, 1916. 

Your three letters (Aug. 29th and 31st and Sept. 
8th) have lately reached me — the last to-day. To- 
day's mail has brought also the book "The Note- 
book of an Attache" from Cousin Eleanor Cresson 
which you wrote of and I am indeed thankful and 
delighted to have it. I had heard quite a good 
deal about it and have wanted very much to read 
it. It surely is a very good description of the early 
days of the war and extremely well written. I've 
already gone through the first chapter this noon. 

My last to you was written on the 20th. Thus 
far no response has come in regard to Roumania 
and I expect I shall have to wait until well into next 



EDMOND GENET 209 

month to learn my fate about that. Major Parker 
has written to me and said he thought my reasons 
for going seemed sound and if I go he will make it 
a point to present me to the Roumanian Attache 
at Paris. I might be fortunate enough to receive a 
letter of introduction from the attache to some of 
the high authorities in R. and thus boost me a 
little that way. 

As you perhaps already know from accounts 
which already must be in the papers in the States 
another one of our brave aviators has been killed 
at the front. One of the very best of them too. 
Paul Rockwell's brother, Kiffin, has gone this time, 
— brought down in an aerial duel. Thus it is and 
will be right along with all the best ones — those 
who really do the biggest amount of the fighting. 
We can't help but predict which ones will be killed. 
This game is only that of get or he gotten and those 
who go right into the fray to get are almost sure to 
be killed sooner or later. I'm not going to be any 
shirker, dear little Mother, even if it is sure to mean 
what it has meant to Chapman and Rockwell. 

I am expecting to go to the machine-gun school 
at Cazaux on the 3d with the detachment leaving 
here for that place then. I doubt if I get a per- 
mission to go to Paris before then, but intend to 
try for one after finishing at Cazaux before return- 
ing here for the Ecole de Combat. 

Just a year ago yesterday we began the battle of 
Champagne. It all comes back fresh in my 
memory like a long horrible nightmare — each day 



210' WAR LETTERS 

an added horror. This Thursday afternoon (the 
28th) will mark the anniversary of that attack we 
made through those woods in which % of our com- 
pany was wiped out — and your wandering "third" 
was unfortunately reported "killed or missing." 
It seems but yesterday instead of a whole year ago. 

The Committee of the Franco-American Corps 
has sanctioned my volunteering to go to Roumania 
and, if I go, agrees to give me 5 months' allowance 
in advance as payments monthly will necessarily 
be out of the question once I get down there. In- 
cluding my government pay I am getting about 
46 dollars a month now as I get 150 francs (about 
30 dollars) a month to eat. With shoes and clothes 
and other necessities and occasional extra feed bills, 
travelling, etc., the rest all seems to go quickly. 
As soon as my corporal papers go through, which 
ought to be within a week, I'll be getting 4 cents a 
day extra. I'll be a corporal by the time this 
reaches you. 

I shall write to Cousin Eleanor in a day or so 
and express my grateful appreciation for the book. 
I'm surely not going to do more than lend it to 
any friends as I want to hang on to such a treasure. 
Part of it was still unwritten when I landed on 
these shores. The next time I go to Paris I'll leave 
it with Mrs. Parker to keep for me. She may not 
have read it. 

When I get to Cazaux I'll write and tell you all 
about it. I understand it is a very interesting 
place — on a big lake on which we practise with 



EDMOND GENET 211 

machine-guns mounted in hydroaeroplanes and 
fast motor-boats — using small balloons for targets. 
All love and warmest wishes from 

Your loving son, 

Edmond. 
Aviateur. 



ficole de Tir Aerlen, 

Cazaux, Gironde, France. 

October 10th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

It has made me very, very glad over my success 
at making a good record at Buc and at Pau just 
because I know how happy it has made you. I'm 
trying my best to bring out the best possible efforts 
and results, and thus far the latter have shown 
that I've succeeded pretty well. After all it hasn't 
cost me much effort. 

The Captain here very kindly granted us four 
Americans leave to go to Bordeaux over last Satur- 
day night and Sunday. There are two other 
Americans here with whom I was at Buc and who 
went to Avord while I was at Pau. The third 
is a pleasant chap from Argentina, S. A., who is 
a volunteer and as he speaks English fluently he 
is with us. We have been enormously favored by 
the Captain here. He has placed us together in a 
group by ourselves under an extremely pleasant 
young French adjutant who speaks English and 
thus we learn better. Also, instead of living in the 
usual barracks of the pilots we have the privilege 



212 WAR LETTERS 

of two rooms used generally for officers' quarters 
and in the officers' barracks. Two of us are to- 
gether in a room. It's the best treatment we've 
had yet in the service. 

Instead of remaining at Bordeaux over Sunday I 
went to Arcachon, a dehghtful seaside resort very 
near here situated on a large bay. It is rather late 
in the season, but the days are still warm and many 
people were out on Sunday. I went in swimming 
the preceding Monday — the day I came here from 
Pau (work here not beginning until Wednesday, 
there was no reason for staying all that day) — 
and I found the water delightful but quite cool. I 
only stayed in a half-hour. I'm enclosing a postal 
or so of the place. When I got back here Sunday 
night I found a pile of letters. . . . 

My last letter to you I guess was written before 
I left the Nieuport Division at Pau. I did mighty 
well and very quick work there — finishing in about 
18 days. A detachment of us was sent here on the 
30th and as that was a Saturday we all entered here 
on Monday. I was in Bordeaux on that Sunday 
and strolled around the town. It isn't a very strik- 
ing place but contains some mighty pretty buildings 
and columns. 

Yesterday I had a big surprise. Major Parker 
came all the way down from Paris and arrived here 
about noon. He got permission from the Colonel 
at Paris who has charge of the aerial schools to 
come here. The Captain had him for luncheon 
and took him all around the school during the after- 



EDMOND GENET 213 

noon and I was with them. The Major said he and 
Mrs. Parker were very, very pleased with your 
letter. They both are being altogether lovely to 
me. The Major is quite sure he can get me off to 
Roumania or to this front as soon as I am through 
training and thus save me waiting in reserve for 
several months. My previous time at the front 
ought to help me in that as well. I don't like the 
idea of being held in reserve all or nearly all this 
winter. 

Possibly you don't know where Cazaux is. It is 
on a large lake, about 9 miles square, situated just 
off the coast S. W. of Bordeaux. The lake is 
called Cazaux Lake. The school is on the eastern 
side and is very comfortable barracks. There are 
a great many here who have nothing to do with 
aerial fighting — machine-gun men of infantry and 
there are also machine-gun men for aeroplanes who 
are not pilots. We pilots are here to learn to shoot 
machine-guns simply because we are to fly one-place 
aeroplanes where we shall have to do everything 
ourselves — pilot and shoot at the same time. Here 
we practise from hydroaeroplanes, motor-boats 
and on ranges on land. It's all mighty interesting 
indeed. This is the only school in the world where 
hydroaeroplanes are used in machine-gun practice. 

The Franco-American will surely help any of us 
who need assistance to get back to the States. 
The corps will most likely more than help us back. 
You see if I have any success at the front in bring- 
ing down enemy machines I'll get about $200 for 



214 WAR LETTERS 

every one I bring down — possibly more as the F. A. 
pays each pilot so much for every medal received 
and it adds up to quite a bit. 

For the past month I've been worrying a mighty 

big lot over . No letter has come and I can't 

imagine what is the matter. I'm looking and hop- 
ing for a letter from her every single day. It's be- 
ginning to look hopeless. . . . 

I haven't a lot of time here for letters. I've been 
writing this at odd moments right along to-day. I 
owe about twenty letters now and some of them for 
weeks past too. 

Do you know that the Captain Parker of whom 
Eric Wood writes in that book as being one of the 
military attaches to the Embassy is the very Major 
Parker I know? It is and he has told me a lot 
about their experiences during those first few 
months of the conflict. It was Major Parker who 
first had charge of the destitute Germans and 
Austrians in France at the opening of the war, and 
he was the one who got Eric Fisher Wood his posi- 
tion as attache at the Embassy when he found what 
a bright, clever fellow Wood was. The fellow Hall 
who drove them on that trip after the Battle of the 
Marne in his own car is now a Captain in the British 
army in France and I dined with Hall's father and 
mother with the Parkers in the Roosevelt in July. 
It is all a long string of strange circumstances which 
will lead up to what! God knows! 



EDMOND GENET 215 

^ ficole de Tir Aerien, 

Cazaux, Gironde, France. 
October 12th, 1916. 

My dear Rivers, 

This is an interesting place. We practise firing 
from motor-boats at small rubber-ball balloons 
floating in a line along the water, at ranges of from 
200 to 800 yards, from hydroaeroplanes using sil- 
houette targets of aeroplanes floating on the sur- 
face of the lake and floating balloons (balls) in the 
air and there's a range for machine-guns on the 
shore with the lake as the firing-range. The tar- 
gets in this case are also lines of small balloons at 
various distances. The shooting from the hydros 
is the most fun. This morning I tried shooting at 
the floating bafloons, sent up from a small boat 
on the lake, for the first time and hit four balloons 
out of only 5 shots fired. We circled around until 
the balloon was in front or nearly so and then I 
had to shoot darned quick and judge distance 
and speed mighty rapidly to hit the blamed thing 
at afl. We were flying at about 100 kilometres an 
hour. Some sport ! 

That surely was exceflent shooting and a big 
credit for the "8th" and the Battalion. 

If only you and Mother could have come over 
here this fall I certainly would have been im- 
mensely happy but it would have meant quite a 
sum to you and I guess it's better to wait until 
you are better off. Possibly next Spring I may be 
back from Roumania (if I go down there) or else 



216 WAR LETTERS 

here anyway and April and May are the best 
months to be in Paris. Possibly I can get a few 
weeks off and run over there. Some of the fellows 
have done that already — those who have been at the 
front and it is possible to get the leave I know. 
I've been planning sort of vaguely in my mind to 
do that if possible next May or June. That's look- 
ing ahead a bit too previously though. There's 
too much that can spoil such pleasant hopes be- 
tween times. 

In order to facilitate matters. Rivers, I am going 
to give Major Parker's name as the person to whom 
the authorities may send notice in case of anything 
serious happening to me. I have given Mother's 
name up to now but believe it would be quicker and 
easier if I give the name of one on this side. Major 
Parker and his wife will gladly do this for me, I 
know, and should anything happen will readily 
notify you and Mother immediately. Please for- 
give me if I keep speaking of such things but I 
believe in being prepared as best as is possible for 
everything which may occur. Should I be killed 
and my remains recovered there is no use in think- 
ing of my being buried anywhere but in France 
while the war is going on. Some day, afterward, 
though, when you are able, I would like to be re- 
moved to my own beloved land. Remember that 
I gave my life for France though, dear brother, and 
keep the French colors over my grave as well as the 
Stars and Stripes. Please don't think I am pessi- 
mistic for having written all that. One has to 



EDMOND GENET 217 

prepare for death in war-time and I haven't much to 
ask after all, have I ? 

I sent you a photo I had taken while in Paris 
in early September which I hope reaches you all 
right. I wish I had photos of you and Mother and 
Rod — late snapshots would be more preferable — 
but I haven't. Haven't you one you could send 
me? 

When you write again address to 

Division de Combat Aerien, 

;&cole d'Aviation Militaire, ficole de Tir Aerien, 

Pan, Basses-Pyrenees, France Cazaux, Gironde, France, 

(that's my next stop). October 22nd, 1916. 

Dear Rod, 

This is my final week here and I feel highly con- 
tented over the fact. The place is very interesting, 
but not enough to last through three or four solid 
weeks. I've been here ever since the beginning of 
the month and when I arrived I understood it was 
to be for only two weeks. Considering that I took 
but a bare eighteen days in which to perfect myself 
in piloting the little Nieuport at Pau last month I 
have felt it rather an unnecessarily long time here 
to learn three or four mitrailleuses (machine-guns) 
and practise shooting them. I'm sure, though, 
that the target practice has done me good and if 
I'm not a crack marksman I think I can at least 
hold my own against the average. There's more 
blamed chance of the machine-gun getting jammed 
while one is fighting an adversary in the air than 
there is of doing any crack shooting. If the gun 



218 WAR LETTERS 

jams there's absolutely nothing to do but beat it 
by dropping head first with the machine for home 
and the repair-shop. That occurs time and again 
at the front. I suppose the most chivalrous thing 
a fellow could do if his opponent's gun jams would 
be to toss over his revolver and give the other guy 
a fighting chance that way, but I never heard of its 
being done yet. The little brotherly feeling that 
there is in this war exists only between the avia- 
tion corps of the two sides, but there isn't an over- 
abundance of that. I wouldn't trust a Boche to 
throw me his revolver if he saw my machine-gun 
was indisposed to work for its existence, or if my 
ammunition had all gone to waste in the air around 
him, — would you ? 

The authorities here — particularly the captain — 
have been just fine with us four Americans who have 
been here this month. We've had a big room to 
ourselves instead of having to quarter in the reg- 
ular barracks with the other under-grade pilots 
(we're only corporals) and for a time we had a 
young French adjutant who spoke English to in- 
struct us. He left a while ago to become a pilot, 
and the captain immediately put us with a group 
of officer-pilots. The average French officer is an 
awfully decent sort and we've found the best class 
of them in the aviation. A large percentage of 
them are former cavalry officers and you know 
yourself that the cavalry of any country has the 
monopoly of the best men as officers — men from the 
best families. Thus, on account of the cavalry be- 



EDMOND GENET 219 

ing used so little in this kind of warfare most of 
the officers — in preference to changing to infantry 
— have entered the aerial service. One of the most 
gentlemanly officers I have met over here was a 
captain from the cavalry who was at Buc the same 
time as myself and he came to Pau before I left. 
A week after coming here I read of his death in a 
fall at Pau with a Nieuport. It was unbelievable 
to me because he was an excellent pilot and ex- 
tremely cool. Even the best pilots meet their 
death some time or other. It's so much better to 
have the end come while one is fighting at the front. 
We've lost, as you must already know, the origina- 
tor of the American escadrille — Norman Prince. 
He died from having had both legs broken in an 
aerial flight on Oct. 15th. He was in a hospital near 
the front when he died and very near the end he 
was decorated with the Legion of Honor. He cer- 
tainly deserved it. He was on the Rochamheau with 
me when I came over. That was his first time in 
France when he came to enter the French aviation 
service. Later he thought of getting the French 
to consent to forming the American escadrille and 
he went to America to work it up and get fellows to 
come for it. 

Thus far three have been killed at the front, 
Chapman, Rockwell, and Prince; Dowd met his fate 
at Buc, and another young fellow, Balsley, has been 
in the American Ambulance for months now and 
will be partially paralyzed for life — if he pulls 
through at all. There seems to be a fighting chance 



220 WAR LETTERS 

yet for his life. He received an explosive bullet in 
his stomach and hip-bone. A big piece of the 
latter had to be cut out. How he ever lived at all 
is a marvel which can only be attributed to the 
Amer. Ambulance surgeons. 

One of the fellows at the front, Lufbery (a 
former U. S. army fellow), has 5 enemy machines 
to his credit now and is, therefore, numbered among 
the best pilots of the service. When one has 
brought down 5 enemy machines he is named in the 
French oiSicial communiques and is one of the 
"aces" of the corps. 

If I last through this war I feel pretty certain 
that my name won't be "mud" back in the U. S. 
I think there's still a bit of a glimmer in my lucky 
star, Rod, and if it will only keep alight I shouldn't 
get gray hairs over the future. If I get gray hairs 
'twill be over the present — while I'm doing my little 
bit against the Boche pilots. Gray hair don't 
worry me in the least though. If I don't return 
banged up in some way no one will ever believe 
I've been through this racket at all, papers or no 
papers. I certainly haven't lost flesh over it as 
you can easily see by my photographs. I hope you 
have received the one I sent you in early September. 
Mother writes that she rec'd hers so I suppose you 
have also. Please pardon the streak of dirt over 
my upper lip. The photographer forgot to tell me 
to wash it off — poor fool! Rivers is in the dark 
shade with his kid brother now. 

I had a letter from Chas. Rowe yesterday. Says 



EDMOND GENET 221 

he's working in the same firm in N. Y. with George. 
Takes a 6 something train every a. m. I can't say 
I'd change places with him or any of the others of 
our old gang, Rod, even if they are safe over there 
and perhaps putting a little in the bank every 30 
days. I may have but a month or so more to live 
but by all that's heavenly I'll meet a death that will 
bring honor to any one and (you perhaps over there 
can't realize the fulness of the enthusiasm we few 
American fellows who are over here hold for 
France and this big cause) the world will know and 
remember our sacrifice through many a year to 
come. There are plenty of others over there to 
jump into the place I might be filling while there 
are none over here to fill my place at the front. 
Every pilot counts. No one else will ever fill my 
place. Those behind will have their own place to 
fill. As I've written to Mother and Rivers you've 
got to expect me to meet the same fate as Chap- 
man, Rockwell, Prince, and the rest who may go 
soon, just as I expect it. A pilot can't always win, 
no matter how broad his streak of luck may be. 
All we ask is to be able to bring down a few of the 
enemy machines before our turn comes. 
Your devoted brother, 

Edmond, 
Caporal pilote-aviateur. 



223 WAR LETTERS 

Division de Combat Aerien, 

Ecole d'Aviation Militaire, 

Pau, Basses-Pyrenees, France, 

Nov. 2nd, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

Your letters reached me in the latter part of last 
month just previous to my leaving Cazaux and I 
intended to send you a good reply while in Paris 
spending my leave from the 27th through the 31st 
with the Parkers, but I never had such a strenuous 
and delightful vacation over here before. I was 
simply on the go from start to finish — in fact so 
much so toward the last that I nearly missed my 
train Tuesday night by staying at the Harpers' 
to meet Helen's oldest brother who had just come 
in on a leave from his work with the field-hospital 
service of the Amer. Ambulance at Verdun. He's 
about my age. I just caught the train by oflPering a 
cab -driver 10 francs to get me to the station. He 
drove some fast. Taxis are almost impossible to 
get hold of after six at night. They're all occupied. 
It's terrible. 

Major and Mrs. Parker were just as nice to me as 
any one could be and I spent a most pleasant time 
with them. I got around to see nearly all the 
friends, but I'm getting so many of them here that 
it seemed an impossible task. The ^ve days went 
like mad. 

In my last letter I told you I was going to see 
Miss Harper for the first time. I saw her part of 
every day I was there. She surely is one lovely 
girl and^ though hardly seventeen yet, seems about 



EDMOND GENET 223 

19 or 20. Her mother is delightful and was very 
good to me. They had me there to dine four or five 
times and Saturday night Helen and I went with 
a chaperon to see "Madame Butterfly" in its open- 
ing night at the Opera Comique. We enjoyed it 
immensely. I had never seen it in New York, so 
was mighty glad of the opportunity to see it there. 

This morning I made my first flight in over a 
month with a Nieuport and did quite well. It felt 
great to be up once more. I don't believe much in 
staying out of a machine too long at a time as one 
gets a bit nervous about going up again. I was 
this morning — until I felt the machine leave the 
ground and then I felt completely at home once 
more. I bought myself a good warm fur-lined 
leather head-covering in Paris. It completely 
covers my head and buttons close up over my 
mouth. The goggles of course protect my eyes 
from the wind. I really felt quite warm and snug 
with it this morning although I wasn't at a high 
enough altitude to judge it properly — only 600 
metres. 

Three of us coming down from our leave at Paris 
rode first-class all Tuesday night and never paid 
a cent of fare. We had our ordinary order of trans- 
port but it only grants a 3rd-class passage. We've 
always managed to work it 1st class though, so we 
had a compartment to ourselves and got a good 
sleep. We arrived in Pau at noon yesterday and 
came out right after dining at one of the hotels. 
It seems good to be back here again. The climate 



224 WAR LETTERS 

here is warm and pleasant at this time of the year 
and I guess the month or so I'll have here will not 
be too disagreeable or cold to enjoy flying. 

A very nice letter came from Mrs. Wheeler writ- 
ten in early October just after they had returned 
from their trip. They were in Concord and she 
said they would be there for some time. Dave 
was trying to secure a medical commission in either 
the Canadian or English forces and so will most 
likely be back on this side before long. He cer- 
tainly has an immense stock of youthful fire and 
love of excitement. Mrs. Wheeler will have to 
tie him up to keep him from charging the Germans 
again like he did in Champagne. 

What do you suppose I received yesterday when 
I arrived here ? You know from my last letter that 

I haven't heard from since away back in 

August and have been fretting my heart out with 
anxiety over her, thinking she was dangerously sick 
or something. Well, yesterday came a postal 
written on Oct. 2nd. She says: "Why don't you 
write ? I scan the papers for news of you and wait 
for the mails, but get nothing." 

Here I've been writing letter after letter ever 
since August — at least one every week — and why 
haven't they reached her and if she has been writ- 
ing all the time the same as usual, why haven't 
her letters reached me when all my other letters 
seem to reach their destinations and all letters to 
me seem to arrive safely.^ I can't understand it 
at all. ... I do hope a letter comes from her 



EDMOND GENET 225 

mighty soon which will clear it all up. I have been 
absolutely distracted over it all. Here I've written 
right along and she evidently has also and not 
one of our letters has been received. What is the 
reason .f^ Why should our letters to each other be 
held up when none of the others are ? There never 
is anything of military importance in my letters 
to her and certainly not in hers to me. 

An order, I understand, has been passed that 
any of us Americans can secure a leave to the U. S. 
of 21 days with travel time in addition and 2nd- 
class accommodations paid. That's fine, but I've 
two distinct reasons for not wishing such enjoy- 
ments now. One is that I had better keep out of 
the U. S. until after January, 1917 (you realize 
why), and the second reason is because I want to 
get to the front as quickly as possible and do some 
good work before I ask for liberty to the dear old 
homeland. I wouldn't feel right to go back with- 
out having first spent four or six months in flying 
on the front even though I have had nearly 2 years 
of steady service. I'm sure I could get leave now 
just on account of my service, but I'm not going to 
ask for it. Next Spring — perhaps about May or 
June — will be time enough and I'd rather spend 
that season over with you all than the cold winter. 
Not that I'm not mighty, mighty anxious to see 
you all again, dear little Mother, but I want more 
active service to back me up and I might get in 
trouble over there if I came back within two years 
of my leaving. That's the most important reason. 



226 WAR LETTERS 

What was the letter you had published in Ossi- 
ning from me ? I got a very strange and ridiculous 
letter yesterday from Ossining which was un- 
signed. The writer said the he or she (I rather 
think it was a she from the style of the writing) had 
"read with amazement my letter to my dear 
Mother, but still I think America first; as to your 
advancement I hope you survived to cross the 
German line and be killed as you are a traitor to 
your country; this is from Ossining." That's all. 
I suppose it is from some foolish young kid who is 
pro-German. The writing and spelling are rather 
poor. I sure would like to find out who it is. 
That's the first unfriendly letter I've ever received 
from the States. It is amusing. What was the 
letter I wrote to you anyway .^^ Please be careful 
about all my letters as I often tell things rather un- 
neutral and not pro-German. 

The papers of yesterday report that two more of 
our boys at the front have been killed, but we 
don't know who yet nor anything definite about it. 
It may not be true. 

I may be having a 20th birthday on the 9th, 
Mother dear, but I assure you I feel decidedly 
younger than that young age. I'm glad I'm no 
older. 

Thus far we aren't pushing the Roumania ques- 
tion. Major Parker advises that I wait until I'm 
finished with this school and he feels that it will be 
quite possible to be sent if I then wish it. If not 
he'll get me sent to the front with our own esca- 



EDMOND GENET 227 

drille at once which will be O. K. to me if I stay 
over here. I don't wish to stay in reserve for two 
or three months. 

I've been terribly lax in my correspondence this 
last month simply because of lack of time. We 
have plenty of work here also so I guess I'll have a 
hard time to make up and answer the pile of letters 
I've had waiting to be answered for a month or 
more. My friends will think me dead. This is 
all I've got time for now. May this find you in the 
best of health and good spirits, Mother dear. 

Nov. 8th, 1916. 
Dear Leah, 

Well what do you think of "poor Teddy" now.^ 
He's not President but he did a big lot to put 
Hughes in. We got the returns of the election this 
noon and we all just jumped around like mad men 
in our sheer joy over the great news. Hip, hip, 
hooray ! ! ! ! ! I'm crazy with delight. . . . 

I received my military pilot's license on Sept. 3rd 
at Buc and also the license issued by the Aero Club 
of France. The remainder of that month I was 
here learning to pilot the little avion de chasse, 
Nieuport, which I shall pilot at the front and then 
spent all Of last month at a school near Bordeaux 
where we had machine-gun practice and learned all 
there is to know about the various machine-guns in 
use. 

It was intensely interesting. The school is 
situated on the shore of a huge lake south of Bor- 



£28 WAR LETTERS 

deaux and close to the coast and we fired machine- 
guns from hydroplanes and fast motor-boats with 
gas balloons for targets and all sorts of such kind 
of stunts. 

At the end of that course I had five glorious days 
of leave in Paris and then came here on the first of 
this month. The worst part of it is that since 
coming here the weather has continued to persist 
in being miserable and we've had only a very little 
flying in consequence. It did feel great, though, 
to pilot a Nieuport again after doing no piloting 
for over a month. 

The little Nieuport is a wonderful aeroplane, 
very fast, easily handled — except in landing — and 
a complete delight to pilot in flight. One can do 
all kinds of crazy stunts with it. The last thing we 
have to do here are acrobatics and then I'll have 
to do loops, dives, turns, sidewise, and a host of 
other hair-raising feats with it to qualify. Just 
now I'm doing aerial tactics in company with other 
machines. The whole course is simplj^ fascinating 
from beginning to end. 

The accident you read which I had at Buc wasn't 
very much. I fell 50 metres in a 50 h. p. Bleriot 
monoplane and smashed the machine to pieces no 
larger than matchsticks. I have a photo, of it 
and hope to show it to you some day. I was 
strapped in tightly, of course (we always are), so 
didn't get hurled out when the machine struck. I 
was laid up for a few days in the school hospital 
with a badly wrenched hip and back, but it didn't 



EDMOND GENET 229 

last very long — only every now and then I find the 
pain comes back in my left hip and makes me lame 
for a short time. 

While here in September I had my second acci- 
dent from which I escaped without ever a bruise. 
I turned completely over with a Nieuport. We all 
have to have some trouble. There are lots, though, 
who never come out of their accident alive. It's 
about safe to say that about as many aviators are 
killed in their training period as there are at the 
actual front by the enemy. We had an American 
killed at Buc the very day following my little fall 
there — Dowd, from Brooklyn, who was first in the 
Legion from the very commencement of the war. 
At the front we have already lost three, Chapman, 
Rockwell and Norman Prince, the originator of 
the escadrille. 

I'm hoping to reach the front before Christmas 
time. Six months is the usual time for training for 
aviation and I commenced in early June. I want 
to get back into the fight and do my little bit before 
the enemy bring me down. That's all any of us 
desire — to get a lot of the enemy before one of them 
gets us. C'est la guerre. 

Goodness, we're all growing up and getting old 
and stern. I'm glad I'm not more than twenty 
to-morrow. Life is mighty short anyway, but over 
here it certainly is on the edge of things — every 
blessed day. Ever sincerely yours, 

Edmond, 
Caporal Pilote-aviateur. 



230 WAR LETTERS 

November 9th, 1916. 
My dear little Mother, 

Three rousing cheers ! Hughes is elected and 
there'll be a new administration when next March 
comes around. We got the good news yesterday 
noon and just went wild with delight. The Cap- 
tain granted us a half-day off on the 7th to cele- 
brate Election Day, but of course we didn't receive 
any returns until yesterday. I celebrated Elec- 
tion Day and my birthday all together by treating 
a comrade and myseK to a good dinner at one of 
the big hotels in Pau on the 7th. 

Now I've got bigger hopes for coming out 0. K. 
if I ever get back to the States after the war. I'd 
like to know if Roosevelt will be on Hughes's cabinet 
as Sec'ty of War. If he is then there is lots of hope. 
Also there's going to be a big, big boom in aeronau- 
tics in the U. S. now. 

Your letter of October 14th written from Ossi- 
ning arrived on the 7th with the enclosed one of 
Billy de Lancy's to you. What on earth is the 
article you sent him about me to which he refers ? 
I wish you would enlighten me on these subjects a 
little more. I'm all at sea over the letter you must 
have published to which that fool person, of whom 
I spoke in my last letter, wrote when he or she 
called me a traitor to my country. 

There is more possibility of my going to the 
French front first and later going to Roumania. 
It is all rather vague just now. I want to finish 
here first before making any definite plans. I'm 
sure of a lot of help from Major Parker no matter 



EDMOND GENET 231 

what I decide to do. There is a young Roumanian 
here who is the son of the Roumanian ambassador 
to England and of a very noted Roumanian family. 
He was at Buc with me and is about a month and 
a half or two months behind me in his training, 
being just in the beginning of the Nieuport Division 
here where I was in Sept. He wants to be on the 
French front for a few months and then go to 
Roumania and I may do the same — going with him 
to Roumania. It would help me lots, doing that, 
I'm sure. 

There's no use in asking me to keep out of the 
most danger over here, dear Mother. There's 
danger everywhere and I'm too much of a fatalist 
to look out for the soft places. I'm in God's hands 
and not my own, so I'll do my part wherever it may 
please Him to lead me. 

The weather has been impossible for flying lately 
— showers every day and night for the past five or 
six days. I'm afraid it will be well past December 
1st before I am through here and ready for the 
front. Thus far I haven't done very much at all 
here. The first part of the course here is aerial 
combat tactics; the acrobatics come last. 

The postal I wrote of in my last letter is the only 

news from I've had yet. Every mail I look 

hopefully for a letter and thus far every mail has 
been disappointing — miserably so. It's all such 
a hateful nuisance the way our letters have never 
reached each other all this time. It seems ab- 
solutely impossible. 

Such a nice letter came from the Major yesterday. 



232 WAR LETTERS 

He wrote that I must consider them as being my 
own people over here and come to them whenever 
I can. Really, Mother, I've been almost unbe- 
lievably fortunate with my friendships over here 
where I never expected to find any real friends. 
It looks too as though I have found some more 
very excellent friends in the Harpers. Helen, 
the daughter, is extremely attractive — not at all 
the sort of American-Parisian girl I supposed all 
such girls were over here. It helps a lot to have 
such friends near one over in this life, dear little 
Mother. It takes off the real sting of the loneliness 
one can't help getting now and then. 

Hedin has asked me to write an article on avia- 
tion over here to give to the Atlantic Monthly. 

The "A. M." has asked him to try and get some 
one to write an article on that subject for them. 
I could probably make 75 or 100 dollars on it, 
Hedin tells me, but I am rather sceptical about 
writing anything. If I get into the right frame of 
mind sometime perhaps I'll make a stab at the 
job. I never could do such work offhand. 

I got a little more than I thought I did when I 
had that fall at Buc with the Bleriot monoplane. 
Very frequently when I sit down I get a small pain 
at the very end of my spine and at varying times 
pains — or rather stiffness comes into my left hip 
and I have to limp. I'm not worrying over it, 
though, because it certainly can't be very serious. 



EDMOND GENET 233 

November 14th, 1916. 

Oh, glimmering Star, 

"I'm one of those famous legionnaires 

You've read so much about; 
The people stop to stare at me 

Whenever I come out. 
I'm noted for my courageousness, 

The terrible things I do; 
Most everybody likes me, — 

'Cept the Boches: — 
They hate me through and through. 

Chorus: 

While we go marching, 
And the band begins to play 
(to play-y-y) 
You can hear them shouting — 
*The liberty and the patrie's safe. 
The Legion's on its way. ' " 

Quite some song, n'est-ce pas, cherie.^ Ah, oui, 
et elle etait composee par un legionnaire — un vo- 
lontaire americain. Pas mal du tout ! Je vais vous 
chanter ga quand je serai chez vous. Comprenez- 
vous ? 

You may think from all this foregoing nonsense 
that I'm chock-full of brightness but ce n'est pas 
comme ga du tout. I'm blue — terribly so — over 
those miserable elections. Where has American 
patriotism and honor sunk to, anyway? Enough 
of it. Mon Dieu ! 

By the first of the year I hope to have brought 
down my first German avion or be buried myself. 



234 WAR LETTERS 

I'll be through here by at least Dec. 15th and then 
will soon be going out to join the escadrille at the 
front. I'm glad as can be too for it's been six 
months since I left the front and so high time I was 
getting back to do my duty. I've made a pretty 
fair record thus far in my training in the different 
schools and I'm satisfied as far as that goes, but 
what is that to doing good work at the front? 
Nothing, Rien. 

There's a possibility that I shall go to the eastern 
front with the Russians and Roumanians, but prob- 
ably not until I've first spent two or three months 
of active service on this western front. I'm very 
keen on going to Roumania and may only wait to 
go with a young Roumanian aviateur who is a little 
behind me in the schools here. He's the son of the 
Roumanian ambassador to England and a mighty 
decent chap. He may stay on this front also for 
a month or so before going to his own country so 
that if I wait for him I'll not leave for the east until 
next March or April. I can't say much about that 
yet. 

Your affec't. manager, 

Edmond, 
Caporal Pilote-aviateur, 

November 15th, 1916. 

My dear Leah, 

I surrender — unconditionally and in profound 
disgust. There I went and wrote in maddened de- 
light over the returns of the elections which first 



EDMOND GENET 235 

reached here and then, directly afterward they all 
turned out to be miserably false. Hughes lost and 
there's another four years ahead of us with Wilson 
at the helm. We all went perfectly wild with joy 
over here when those first returns arrived giving the 
election to Hughes. Then, immediately afterward, 
came four days of hideous suspense in which we 
could only wait and hope and now the sad, final re- 
sult is known and we have lost every bit of hope. 

You win, Leah, and I've quit in consternation 
and complete despair. Where has all the old 
genuine honor and patriotism and humane feelings 
of our countrymen gone ? What are those people, 
who live on their farms in the West, safe from the 
chances of foreign invasion, made of, anyway? 
They decided the election of Mr. Wilson. Don't 
they know anything about the invasion of Belgium, 
the submarine warfare against their own country- 
men and all the other outrages which all neutral 
countries, headed by the United States should have 
long ago rose up and suppressed and which, because 
of the past administration's *' peace at any price" 
attitude have been left to increase and increase .'^ 
They crave for peace, those unthinking, uncaring 
voters, and what's the reason ? Why, they're mak- 
ing money hand over fist because their country 
is at peace — at peace at the price of its honor and 
respect in the whole civilized world — at peace while 
France and Belgium are being soaked in blood by 
a barbarous invasion — while the very citizens of the 
United States are being murdered and those same 



236 WAR LETTERS 

invaders are laughing behind our backs — even in 
our very faces. Oh, it's a bitter, bitter subject to 
every one of us Americans over here, Leah. We 
had hopes, though, before the elections that there 
was coming a change for the better — that our coun- 
try would wake up and realize that action and not 
"notes" were needed, but now — well, we haven't 
any more hopes. We're thoroughly, disgusted, and 
bitter as the pill has been, we've swallowed it. 
Were I not such a full-blooded loyal American I 
would have no scruples in dying over here — a 
Frenchman, but I'm an American through to the 
core and I'll never give up that nationality my birth 
gave to me. It couldn't be possible for Americans 
in America to feel the same bitter way as Americans 
over here among the very scenes of this war's hor- 
rors. It's not comprehensible over there where 
peace reigns supreme. Come over here and you'll 
be engulfed like the rest of us in the realization of 
the necessity of the whole civilized world arming 
itself against this intrusion of utter brutality and 
militaristic arrogance. Peace — God forbid such 
happiness until the invaders have been victoriously 
driven back behind their own borders, knowing the 
lesson of their folly in treading ruthlessly on un- 
offending neutral territory and all the rest of their 
deeds of piracy and the blood of France and Bel- 
gium has dried up. We're fighting ^'jusqu'au 
bout" (that's a famous expression used here now, 
meaning to the very end). I say we because I'm 
heartily glad and proud I'm one of them. We 



EDMOND GENET 237 

are all ready and mighty willing to fight jusqu'au 
bout, every one of us. 

These two lengthy lectures (Fune apres Tautre) 
ought surely to merit a very, very long one from 
you. Please don't disappoint me and please, please 
don't lecture me on my heroic stand against the 
Democratic party and its weak principles. It's 
too sore a subject with me. 

Hearty wishes to you all and a jolly winter for 

Most sincerely, 

Edmond, 
Caporal Pilote-aviateur, 

November 16th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

My last letter was full of glad enthusiasm over 
the supposed results of the elections. Of course 
the later news of Wilson's victory came in several 
days following that one and our hearts and hopes 
have consequently sunk to our boots. 

No news of any kind from yet and I'm 

simply distracted. 

If you and Rivers and Rod only send me snap- 
shots of yourselves I surely will be contented. I 
have those pictures of you and Dad in Paris, but 
they are too big to carry with me and I want one of 
each of you as you are now. 

Paul Rockwell certainly does write mighty good 
articles to boost us along. Publicity pays. There 
are scores of fellows in the States who want to race 



238 WAR LETTERS 

over here and win glory. It's all glory in the tell- 
ing. Mother. Over here we realize more fully the 
real side — the grim outlook for us all. Do we worry 
over that outlook though ? NEVER ! 

Heaps of love to you all and a heart full of grati- 
tude for all the spendid wishes for my twentieth 

Your devoted son, 

Edmond. 



Le 21 novembre, 1916. 

Dear Chas., 

Yesterday I commenced doing acrobatics with 
the Nieuport — sharp turns on one wing, the vrille, 
which is the French term for shoot (a vertical drop 
like a corkscrew), turn-overs completely backward 
and some other crazy stunts. It sure is wonderful 
sport, old man — tres amusant — and absurdly easy. 
These Nieuport avions de chasse are marvels of 
aerial perfection. One can do anything he wishes 
with them in the air. The higher one goes the 
safer one is. We do acrobatics here at the school 
between 1,400 and 800 metres. On account of the 
other machines flying all around the environs of the 
school it is hardly safe to do stunts below 800 metres. 

Rivers has written to me about those weekly 
dances you all enjoy at the Lodge. You must have 
good fun there. Is it a club affair or just volun- 
tary on your parts ? 

There's a chance that I shall be out on the front 
with the other boys by January. I had hopes of 
getting there before Christmas up until just lately. 



EDMOND GENET 



2$9 



but things are going a bit slowly at the school as is 
always the case toward winter, when the fighting, 
particularly aerial fighting, is forced to quiet down 
because of the invariable bad weather, so I have 
small expectations now of getting sent out that soon. 
Also we haven't had very creditable weather for 
flying since the first of the month when I first got 
here and that naturally holdc up the work a good 
deal. 

Before next Spring sets in I may go to the eastern 
front with the Russian Aerial Service to fight air- 
battles over Roumanian soil. I like the outlook 
very much as it would very probably bring me a 
commission to start with and something to boot 
afterward. 






X 



r 






o< 



That's what the 
"vrille" looks like. 
I can't explain how 
it feels — something 
the way one does 
just after he has had 
a trifle too much. 
Enorme! 



•OOMETCRS ^— ■ 



What are all the fellows doing now ? 
I sure would like to see the old town and you all 
again. Yours faithfully. 

Monk, 
Caporal Pilote-aviateur, 



240 WAR LETTERS 

November 26th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

Yesterday brought me your letters. . . . 

That was certainly very nice and thoughtful 
of you to put in that contribution for the three of 
us who have gone to the great beyond and myseK 
on All Saints' Day at the little church. I'd have 
gone to church myself that day had I still been in 
Paris, but as you know I had to leave the evening 
before to come down here. I went into the huge 
Catholic church here last Sunday morning. There 
is an Amer. church here, I believe, but haven't 
found out where it is located. Church is Church 
anywhere ,and in any denomination. I'm like 
Rivers that way. 

If you can — ^get hold of the Nov. number of the 
World's Work. It contains a splendidly written 
account of the escadrille written by one of the fel- 
lows — James M. McConnell — and it is very inter- 
esting indeed and will give you a fine idea of just 
what I shall be doing very soon. 

That package you sent off sounds very, very good 
to me and I only hope fervently that it reaches me 
sound and complete. When it does I'll acknowledge 
its contents to all the good contributors. I have 
a mighty fine coat, though, which Major Parker 
presented me with — one of his U. S. cavalry cold- 
weather coats. It is like a blanket inside and has 
a huge fur collar. I have found it most warm and 
comfortable. If Uncle Lock and the rest wish to 
send me something useful I can suggest either of 



EDMOND GENET 241 

two arcicles which would be mighty acceptable and 
useful to me at the front — a Colt automatic re- 
volver or a medium-size pair of field-glasses. Either 
will be very, very handy. We are provided with a 
very poor quality of revolver when we leave for the 
front and no glasses at all. 

I began doing acrobatics on last Monday and 
finished on Wed. without any mishaps. It is all 
ridiculously easy and safe, Mother. I found ab- 
solutely no disagreeable sensation in the least while 
doing any of the stunts — the "vrille," which is the 
vertical head-drive or corkscrew turn, the back- 
ward turn, or any of the others. It was all very 
wonderful, but not nearly as sensational to the pilot 
as to the onlookers from the ground several hundred 
metres below. 

After completing the acrobatic class I piloted the 
delightful little "Baby" Nieuport for two days and 
fell completely in love with the little rascal. It is a 
wonder and very easy to pilot. The hard part is 
in leaving and landing on the ground, particularly 
the latter. The machines here only contained 80 
h. p. motors, but at the front we have 110 h. p. 
ones if we run the "Baby." 

Yesterday afternoon I completed the Combat 
class with the most delightful and picturesque flight 
I have ever experienced yet. It was not a wonder- 
fully clear afternoon, starting to cloud over about 
two o'clock. I left the field about a quarter to 
two and mounted at once to 3,000 metres. I only 
had an hour's flight to complete the class time, but 



242 WAR LETTERS 

the wonder and beauty of that flight thrilled me so 
much that I was up for 2 hours. After attaining the 
altitude (3,000 metres) I was above the first line of 
fleecy clouds which were blowing eastward from off 
the tops of the Pyrenees and the west. The sight 
of those flaky patches rolling off from the peaks of 
that beautiful snow-clad range which stretches 
along to our south between France and the Spanish 
Peninsula at a height of from 2,500 to 3,500 metres 
was exquisite. 

Never have I enjoyed a flight more than that, for 
never have I experienced a more beautiful one. To 
be over those mountains and above those masses 
of clouds is an experience more thrilling and en- 
joyable than one can describe. One has to be there 
to realize the feeling of power and superiority one 
possesses on such an occasion. One feels as safe 
as you do on the grounds of 1404 Powel St. 

What do you think of the enclosed .^^ I cut it 
out of the iV. F. Globe sent by Dr. Miner. It's 
an argument which every red-blooded, true, loyal 
American citizen ought to recoil at. And yet they 
elected Wilson for 4 years more ! Who did it 
though.^ Why, the host of agriculturalists and 
manufacturers west of the Ohio and Mississippi 
who don't know what invasion means because 
they're miles away from all such disturbances — who 
have only thought of their own prosperity gained 
greatly by Europe's drench of blood — by a policy 
of infantile watchful waiting — of peace at any price 
— when that price is the nation's honor. May they 



EDMOND GENET 243 

realize their folly before the next elections — and 
dearly too. 

Your loving, devoted ** third," 

Edmond. 



To Miss Helen G. Harper — His Marraine 
This is only a letter — not the world^s history 

Ecole d'Aviation Militaire, 
Pau, B.-P., 
Le 27 novembre 1916. 

My dear Helen, 

This is my first chance since receiving your lovely 
letter of the 21st that I've found to reply and in- 
deed this is only half a chance as I'll have to write 
it in snatches this afternoon. I've had heaps to 
do these last ^ve or six days between a lot of fly- 
ing and vainly endeavoring to lessen the stack of 
letters from the States which have been collecting 
since no one knows when. With me a letter al- 
ways requires plenty of spare time in which to be 
adequately answered. I can't write exceptionally 
fast for the simple reason that it takes me a con- 
siderable time to think over each particular sub- 
ject I wish to write about. 

One of the fellows received a letter to-day from 
a chap who is still at Buc in which he said that King 
has returned from his leave in England and expects 
to be reformed [invalided] very soon on account of 
a bad lung. Is this so ? Lucky King, say I ! 

I thought I had told you in one of my former 



244 WAR LETTERS 

letters about my plans in regard to Roumania. ( ?) 
At any rate I meant to do so. It's not at all a 
question over which I have made any definite de- 
cision. I am waiting until I have completed this 
course and am ready to begin active service on the 
front. Although the Roumanian forces are suffer- 
ing reverses and all late reports give pretty seri- 
ous results for them, that doesn't affect the aerial 
condition down there very greatly. The fact is, 
though, that the enemy aviators are having every- 
thing very much their own way. I've read and 
heard reports that they are attacking without 
much opposition the towns and killing with their 
machine-guns the non-combatant innocent farm 
people in their very fields, descending to extraor- 
dinary feeble altitudes to do so. It doesn't sound 
to me as though there could be very many allied 
aviators there to oppose them. I feel confident 
that an energetic pilot could fairly easily drive 
them back behind their own lines. I'm mighty 
keen on going down there, Helen, and if there is 
no more danger than there is on this front, which I 
can't believe — there surely is no use in worrying 
about it. War is war, dear girl, wherever it is, 
and there's danger in it all. Why don't you wish 
me to go down there ? Have you any special rea- 
son.^ I'm fighting for the cause whether I am do- 
ing so here in France or whether I am doing so for 
a more needy ally such as Roumania is now. I'm 
sure aviators are more needed down there than they 
are here to drive those blamed Boche- Austrian 



EDMOND GENET 245 

slayers of innocent women and children back be- 
hind their own lines. The Roumanians are having 
a hard battle to fight; and I wish very earnestly to 
get down there to stand up with them. There are 
enough Americans on this front to help France. 
As it is I'll be under French control in the east be- 
sides being also under the control of the Russian 
and the Roumanian forces. 

Unless I see a good chance to go to Roumania 
immediately I am through my training, which, of 
course, will be when I finish here next month (be- 
fore or by the 15th I expect), I shall ask for the fur- 
lough that rumor has it we Americans (in fact all 
foreigners of neutral countries fighting for France) 
are to be allowed before February first — that is, 
three weeks to spend in their homeland with travel 
time extra and 2d-class voyage paid by the govern- 
ment. It is not sure yet, but I have written to 
Major Parker asking him to find out about it more 
fully. I surely could merit it as far as service is 
concerned and I would very, very much like to get 
that much time off to go over to see again the loved 
ones at home. It will be two years in January since 
I left them, and it would be very acceptable to me, 
Helen, to see them all again. Can you blame me ? 
I don't believe you would. 

The day before yesterday I had the most beauti- 
ful and the most enjoyable flight I have ever ex- 
perienced since beginning my flying. It was my 
last flight necessary to complete my time in the 
actual combat section of the course. I had an 



246 WAR LETTERS 

hour to do. That morning I had been on a steady 
flight of two and a half hours with a very excellent 
machine. The motor went perfectly, so I asked to 
use it again for the afternoon's flight and the in- 
structor gave it to me readily. 

I left the aviation field about twenty minutes of 
two and mounted directly to 3,000 metres getting 
to that altitude a little after two o'clock. Small 
fleecy clouds were forming at about 2,400 metres 
just below the peaks of the Pyrenees and in the 
west and northwest thicker blacker clouds were 
gathering, at various levels. The wind was a 
gentle one coming straight from the west. I could 
scarcely notice it in the machine at all. 

By two-thirty the clouds around the mountains 
were quite thick and were rapidly being blown 
eastward. Their flaky masses tumbling and rolling 
across the peaks and off over the lowlands were 
very pretty. I headed south in order to get over 
them. It was wonderful to look down on those 
patches of snowy clouds of mist and between them 
see the earth far, far beneath. The clouds, from five 
to seven hundred metres below only seemed to in- 
tensify and increase the distance to the ground al- 
though I was still at 3,000 metres as before. Each 
way I turned the clouds seemed to be going the 
opposite direction as my speed was much greater 
than the wind which in reality was continually driv- 
ing the clouds eastward. 

All this time I hadn't gone much farther south 
toward the mountains than Pau, but it was so de- 



EDMOND GENET 247 

liglitful that I decided, as I glanced at my watch 
and found that my necessary hour was nearly up, 
that I would stay up and do what was strictly 
" inter dit" by the school — to go southwest over the 
20 or 25 odd kilometres of low foothills and get 
actually over the first ranges of the Pyrenees. If 
my motor hadn't acted so splendidly all that morn- 
ing and wasn't doing so perfectly then I surely would 
never have attempted or dared to get so far from 
the school when it was strictly against the rules as 
I might very likely have been kicked out had I been 
forced to land with a bad motor near the mountains. 
As it was the kind hand of Providence was with me 
and I got back without any mishaps and the motor 
running adorably all the way. The lowest part of 
the mountains in sight of Pau is directly west, a 
bit southwest, so I headed in that direction and 
covered the distance in less than a half -hour. As I 
neared the ranges the clouds began to roll in heavy 
masses both below and above me — more thickly 
above than below, but the sun was still shining bril- 
liantly through the frequent rifts and the coloring 
of the ground with the little towns and bright fields, 
the dark green of the trees and the white fleecy 
masses of clouds rolling beneath me like splotches 
of cream, the splendor of the steep slopes ahead of 
me which I was rapidly nearing, their tops covered 
with snow and rising above the clouds like so many 
rough icebergs afloat in a tossing sea all formed a 
picture as picturesque and thrilling as I have ever 
seen in real nature. On my right to the northwest 



248 WAR LETTERS 

and ahead farther over the mountains dark oppres- 
sive-looking banks of clouds were rolling up high 
over the mountainous horizon. I knew there was 
not much time to spare if I wanted to see my way 
back at 3,000 metres so I turned a bit and headed 
over a pretty valley with steep green sides rising 
up to snow-capped summits which extended quite 
a ways up into the main range. I passed the outer 
rim of the mountains and then turned east above 
a lateral running valley. Looking down in thrilled 
delight I beheld far, far beneath in the very bed of 
the valley a tiny stream winding down in twists 
and curves from the head and all along it were little 
hamlets and farms and I could see sheep grazing 
up over the sloping farm-lands. Far up the valley 
was quite a fair-sized village but I didn't go far 
enough into the mountains to get over it. Turn- 
ing eastward I headed over some of the outer peaks 
which, snow-capped and bare of all foliage, were 
scarcely three hundred metres below me. I saw 
no one moving above the snow-line. It looked 
bleak but very splendid in the sunlight and the 
higher peaks to the south, which seemed very close 
but were in reality from five to twenty kilometres 
away, were a magnificent spectacle. I drank in 
the chilling pure air with delight and fixed that pic- 
ture so firmly in my mind that I shall never forget it. 
Then I turned the machine toward Pau, which was 
faintly distinguishable to the northeast and sped 
for it. The wind was behind me then and helped 
me along considerably. In twenty minutes I was 



EDMOND GENET 249 

beside Pau. By then there were enormous masses 
of black clouds coming out of the west. I was be- 
tween two strata of them. Those above me by that 
time about obscured the sun and those below were 
swiftly gathering so thickly that I had to keep a 
very sharp constant watch between them to turn 
against the wind to reach the school and it proved 
so strong then that I was fully ten minutes in getting 
near enough to the field to spiral down. I expected 
to encounter rain when I got below the clouds be- 
neath me but I didn't and only a few drops stung 
me in the face just before I landed on the field. I 
spiralled down in one long continuous spiral from 
3,000 metres to 800 and then, straightening out, 
headed in a long volplane toward the aviation 
field. I was two hours in the air, landing at a 
quarter to four, and never have I delighted more in 
a flight. I'm sure this scribbled description has far 
from visualized the real beauty of it, but perhaps 
you will get sort of an idea, a mind picture of it any- 
way. One simply can't be frightened at 3,000 m. 
— as there is always plenty of time and space below 
one to get down safely and effect a landing on a 
suitable ground if one's motor should go dead. 
The one I had in that machine didn't miss fire once 
all that day and I had it up for four and a half 
hours — 2 3^ in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. It 
was a delight indeed to have such luck with a motor 
although I can say that most of the motors here at 
the school are very good. I've only found one or 
two which have caused me anxiety while running. 



250 WAR LETTERS 

Division de Combat Aerien, 

fioole d'Aviation Militaire, 

Pau, Basses-Pyrenees, France. 

December 6th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

By the j&fteenth I shall undoubtedly be leaving 
here and thus ending my training as a French pilote 
militaire. There will be seven days coming to me 
then to spend in Paris, which, although I as yet 
have heard nothing directly from the Major, I 
expect I shall spend at the Roosevelt as usual with 
him and his wife. I only wrote to him a couple of 
days ago telling him I was quite sure of leaving here 
on the 15th. 

I've nearly completed everything here now. I've 
only a short voyage to make and a few more flights 
in the last class. I feel quite contented indeed to 
be so nearly through. Mother. I want to get out 
to the real thing — the active service. 

I have your letters. They'd have been answered 
last week but I honestly had been writing so much 
that I quit writing almost entirely for that week 
to rest up a bit. It seems to me that it's an utter 
impossibility to keep even with my letters. They 
keep coming in and piling up in my letter-box until 
I get desperate and scribble off replies. I've just 
written one to Dave Wheeler. I don't know 
whether they are in the States yet or whether he has 
succeeded in securing his coveted commission as a 
"saw-bones" in the British forces and is on his way 
over here once more to put his impatient fingers in 
this wild pie again. 



EDMOND GENET 251 

Your package hasn't showed up thus far but I 
think it will take some time to get through the 
censor. 

Still no word of any sort arrives from . I'm 

getting mighty well disheartened over it all. 
Mother. How can it possibly be that none of my 
many, many letters reach her and if she writes at 
all now how can all her letters possibly never get 
through. There's something mysteriously wrong, 
I am certain. It's getting blamed unbearably hard 
— this waiting, waiting, watching, hoping business 
and trying to remain cheerful all the while — and 
write cheerful letters to other people. It's about 
reaching the limit. I honestly feel a bit down and 
out — mentally and heartfully. 

Enclosed are a couple of good views of the 
Pyrenees in this section. The Pic du Midi d'Ossau 
is one of the highest peaks here. You see, with its 
altitude of 2,885 metres I could go over it at 3,000 
metres. Now the mountains are much more 
covered with snow than the pictures show, as this 
morning our first snowfall arrived. I was up in the 
air when it came and got caught. The machine 
rocked terribly so I had all I could do to keep it top 
side up and a sharp watch for all other machines in 
the air. Needless to say flying stopped for the day. 

I'll probably be able to spend Christmas in Paris, 
as, leaving here on the 15th with 7 days' leave, I'll 
be in Paris until just to Christmas Day, so will do 
my best to secure an extension over that merry 
day. 



252 WAR LETTERS 

We four Americans here had a splendid Thanks- 
giving feast the night of the 28th with the Lieut, 
instructor of acrobatics at the school. He invited 
us around to his home in Pau and we had the finest 
dinner I've eaten over here in France. His wife 
was an Amer. girl from Texas. There were at 
least 8 kinds of excellent wine that night, cham- 
pagne and a goodly collection of other drinks. My 
head was a trifle heavy the next a. m. but we all 
voted it an immense success. It surely was. We 
had luncheon there again last Sunday. Lieut. 
Simon performed aerial acrobatics with a 50 h. p. 
Bleriot monoplane all through the States in 1910-11. 
He's an awfully decent sort of a chap, about 38. 

I'm writing you and every one every kind of 
warmest wishes for a bright Christmas time, dear 
little Mother. I wish I was going to spend it with 
you. Perhaps in the new year such will be possi- 
ble. We'll all hope so anyway — mighty earnestly. 
Your devoted "third," Edmond. 

Division de Combat A6rien, 

ficole d' Aviation Militaire, 

Pau, Basses-Pyrenees, France. 

December 8th, 1916. 

Dear, wonderful Star, 

'Twas so long ago that I penned you a letter and 
I've been disappointed for some time now about 
getting one from you but — tant pis. I want to send 
you my very affectionate wishes for the Christmas 
season and the cloudy-looking New Year which is 
rapidly dawning in our near future. You see I'm 



EDMOND GENET 253 

a very thoughtful young trouble. Perhaps 'tis 
because somewhere away, 'way down in the depths 
of my thumping life organ I've a suspicion there's 
more adoration for a particular and popular young 
star than I dare to confess, but then that's neither 
here nor there. The fact before us is that merry 
Christmas is very close at hand and requires 
acknowledgment on our parts. Voila ! Last time 
when the gay day came around I was suffering in 
solitary loneliness out on the bleak front. Quelle 
misere ! This time I expect to enjoy it in happy 
cheerfulness in bright Paris with my many delight- 
ful friends there. Quite a difference indeed. I 
expect to weigh anchor from all further training as 
an aviator on the fifteenth of this month and then 
have 'til over Christmas on leave at Paris. From 
there I'll go to the aviation reserve camp stationed 
close to Paris and there will wait in gluttonous idle- 
ness, with frequent sojourns in the city, until I 
am sent to join our boys on the glorious front — a 
matter, most probably, of a few weeks. Active 
service in the escadrille sounds mighty delightful 
to me, chere Etoile. I've spent 6 months behind 
the lines and the prospects of going back to fly over 
them strikes me as being quite a blessing indeed. 
Want to go with me ? 

I had lots of fun doing acrobatic stunts here last 
month with the Nieuport. It was far less sensa- 
tional than I ever suspicioned. The one which is 
the most sensational is the "vrille" or corkscrew 
dive — a feat never yet performed in your peaceful 



254 WAR LETTERS 

country. One turns his machine up and over 
backward on either wing and then the machine 
tumbles on its nose and begins to spin hke a top 
down, down, down — as far as the pilot cares to 
drop. Sometimes he loses his hean and the result 
is quite evidently disastrous to both pilot and ma- 
chine — even the ground gets disturbed. Some day 
I'll take you up and we'll do it together. That will 
be when life seems cheap to us both. 

What would you say if I suddenly walked in on 
you some day.? Well, I don't think I will, so you 
needn't have those fears which just sprung up in 
your sweet little heart. 

The war will take another two years to die. 
Things aren't appearing quite as cheerful in the 
Balkans now as one could wish them to be. It 
surely looks dark for poor Roumania. Bucharest 
is in the hands of the invading hordes and it looks 
bad for what little is left of the country. It is de- 
plorable in every possible way. 

What are the possibilities of society and the gay 
life in Ossining for the wintry season ? Have they 
still that Summer Club which held dances in the 
old de Lancy place the winter I left the States ? 

Best, best wishes, Jeannette, for a mighty bright 
Christmas-tide and a very joyful happy New Year 
to you all. I'd like to be able to say that to you 
instead of having to write it. It's rather a long 
way to telephone though. 

Your affectionate patron, 

Edmond, 
Caporal Pilote-aviateur, 



EDMOND GENET Q55 

Roosevelt Hotel, Paris, 
December 16th, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

When last you heard from me I was at Pau wait- 
ing to leave very soon. That happened on the 10th 
and I came here on leave with 2 other Americans 
who finished with me. I have until the 20th, 
next Wednesday, when I shall have to go on to the 
aviation reserve depot at Plessis-Belleville which is 
only 30 kilometres from Paris. 

I think it most probable that we will be per- 
mitted to come to Paris over Christmas. If so I 
shall have my room here and eat Christmas dinner 
at noon with the Major and his wife, and the Har- 
pers have asked me to have dinner with them that 
evening if I'm in town, so I'll have to make space 
for two bounteous feasts that day in that case. I 
want very much to be here that day anyway so 
I shall be able to go to church. I'd like to be in a 
church of my own denomination that day. To- 
morrow I'll go also. 

Your package came just the day before I left 
Pau and I sure was delighted with it indeed, dear 
Mother. The underclothes are fine. I enjoyed the 
candy too — particularly so because it came from 
Mac's. It seemed like old times to have their 
candy. 

Thus far I haven't been able to reply to Helen 
Mead's nice note and thank her for the socks and 
the half dozen boxes of cigarettes she sent. They 
were all mighty acceptable. It's hard to get Murad 
cigarettes here and I like them very much. 



256 WAR LETTERS 

Major and Mrs. Parker are being very lovely to 
me and I'm enjoying my stay here greatly. I've 
been with Helen Harper quite a lot. The other 
night she and her mother took me to the grand 
opera. We saw Samson and Delilah played. It 
was lovely and the opera house which belongs to 
the State is magnificent. It was my first time 
inside of it. They've had me to dinner several 
times. I go there this noon for luncheon and 
Helen and I are going to motor out in their car to 
the school at Buc. I want to see the fellows out 
there very much and she wants to go along for the 
fun and to see the place. We'll have a snowy ride, I 
guess. It began to rain this morning (it's rained 
practically every day this week as well) but a little 
while ago it turned to snow. I had hoped to be 
able to take a little flight while out there this after- 
noon, but now I won't be able to on account of the 
weather. 

I had luncheon with Mr. and Mrs. Guerquin the 
day before yesterday. That afternoon Mrs. Guer- 
quin took me to see a very interesting exhibition of 
war relics from cathedrals bombarded along the 
front, etc., at what is known as "le petit palais" 
here. It was well worth seeing. 

If it is at all possible I am going to the front 
mighty soon after getting to Plessis-Belleville — 
either to a French escadrille or to our own. Later 
on, toward spring, a few of us will form the second 
escadrille of American volunteers, but that will 
not come for two or three months. Meanwhile I 
want to see plenty of active service. 



EDMOND GENET 257 

The French made a splendid drive at Verdun 
yesterday. That typifies the regard of the AlHes 
for the Kaiser's offers of peace. Those offers not 
only were not made in good faith, but they were 
made merely to give an excuse to do more horrible 
things and be able to lay the blame upon the Allies' 
refusal to stop the war. The Germans need to 
want peace anyway, but they'll never get it that 
easily. 

I've tried to get a letter off to Rivers before 
Christmas, but it's been hopeless. I did get one 
off to Rodman a few days before I left Pau. He 
will have a pretty lonely Christmas, I'm afraid, 
unless he succeeds in securing leave to spend it in 
Darlington with Mary. 

And you, dear little Mother ? I know yours will 
be lonely and not half as merry as I wish it were 
going to be. I wish we could all be together, but 
we won't. We can be together in spirit and that's 
some consolation. 

If there's no word from dear waiting at 

Plessis-Belleville I think I'll have a broken heart 
to go out to fight with. I'm near the end of my 
patience and fortitude. 

E. D. E., Division Nieuport. 

Secteur Postal 92 A, France. 

Dec. 22d, 1916. 

Dear Rivers, 

This is my last place before going to the front 
and, from all present prospects, I expect to be going 
out at least next week, if not before Christmas. To 
tell the truth I am hoping it will be after next 



258 WAR LETTERS 

Monday as I am very anxious to be able to spend 
Christmas day in Paris, which I won't be able to 
do if I am sent from here to the front between now 
and then. After that I want to get to the front 
mighty quickly. This place here — the reserve 
camp for all pilots going to the front, is not very 
interesting. We can do pretty much as we please, 
but I'm not greatly attracted to remaining here for 
a very long period. We three Americans are stay- 
ing in a miserable little country hole near the camp 
and it's rather uncomfortable. Then, too, the 
weather is rather miserable and there's very little 
chance to get any flying at all. Late this after- 
noon I had my first flight here with an 80 h. p. 
Nieuport. It felt fine to be up again, for I haven't 
flown since quitting Pau on the 10th. From then 
until this last Wednesday, the 20th, I've been vaca- 
tionizing in Paris. 

I haven't said anything to any of you yet, but I 
confess now that I almost decided to take a leave 
I could easily have secured, of 15 days in the U. S., 
not counting the trip across both ways and reduced 
rates, at the end of this very month to make you all 
a little visit. I had all my plans laid to sail on the 
Chicago from Bordeaux on the 30th and just walk 
in and give you all a grand surprise. I even bought 
a suit of civilians in Paris to wear over there as we 
can't sport any uniforms in a neutral country. I 
finally, after thinking it over a lot, decided to call 
if off and not take the risk of any trouble over there 
even though my two years is up in early January 
— the 8th, I believe. My career over here is too 



EDMOND GENET 259 

precious to risk bringing to a stop now by any fool- 
ishness, and though I sure do want to see you all 
still I'm swallowing my disappointment and am 
staying here to get to the front quickly. The suit 
of "cits" will have to wait unused until the war is 
over or a later day anyway. 

We witnessed a very disastrous accident here 
this p. M. A Voisin biplane, one of the big bom- 
barding machines, crashed to the ground due to a 
wire catching in the propeller and both pilot and 
observer were crushed to death. The machine 
was completely wrecked. 

Very soon I'll be out on the grim front again and 
flying out over the lines. Then will commence the 
real work I've been training for all these months 
and I'm looking forward to it with an immense 
amount of anticipation and pleasure. Why worry ? 

I hope the New Year will prove a brighter one 
for us all. For me it doesn't make much difference. 
For you and Mother and Rod it does. I'm where 
individuality doesn't count for much — we're just a 
part doing its part in this great war for a cause we'll 
die for, but with you all it's different. You need 
better times. God give them to you, dear brother. 

Devotedly, 

Edmond. 



Roosevelt Hotel, Paris, 
Christmas Eve, 1916. 

My dear little Mother, 

Before me are your two letters and what more 
fitting time to answer them is there than now, 



260 WAR LETTERS 

Christmas Eve? Unlike last Christmas I'm far 
better off to enjoy the bright day, but just think of 
it ! This is my fourth away from you. In 1913 
I was at the Training Station at Newport, in 1914 
in Boston, in 1915 out on the French front and this 
one in Paris. I feel very fortunate indeed to be 
here as I was expecting to be sent to the front from 
Plessis-Belleville, the aviation reserve depot, where 
I went last Wednesday after completing my ten 
days' leave here. This morning though a demand 
which I made for permission to spend Christmas 
with the Major and his wife was granted to me by 
the commandant of the depot and I came in on the 
10.30 train, arriving here just in time for luncheon, 
I'm due back at noon Tuesday, so it gives me all 
of to-morrow without need of thought for any even- 
ing train to catch and thus I'll be able to enjoy the 
two Christmas dinners to which I have invitations. 
What more can a lonely soldier ask for in a foreign 
land on Christmas Day ? All the same, dear little 
Mother, I'd far prefer I was back where we all 
could be feasting ensemble en famille. 

I feel like a big brother to-day as I helped trim 
the tree for the youngsters at the Harpers' this 
afternoon and just now finished assisting the Major 
in decorating their little tree for their two little 
girls. I think I told you in my letter of last week, 
written while I was here that their two youngsters 
were to arrive from America on Monday. Major 
Parker went down to bring them back from Bor- 
deaux and they arrived on Tuesday morning, the 



EDMOND GENET 261 

day before I left. They're quiet, sweet little girls. 
The oldest is 8 and her little sister is two years 
younger. They surely ought to have a happy 
Christmas to-morrow judging from the pile of 
presents arranged under the little tree for them to 
find in the morning. We're all to march in together 
just as you used to have us all do at home on Christ- 
mas morning — not so very many years ago, dear 
Mother. 

It was so beautiful this morning and so vastly 
different from the windy, rainy days we've con- 
tinually had lately that I routed out early and went 
over to the aviation field for a flight. We fly when- 
ever we wish at the depot and have very few re- 
strictions — particularly Americans. I got hold of a 
good 110 h. p. Baby Nieuport and had % of an 
hour in the air of real enjoyment. I did more 
acrobatics in that one flight than I've done yet at 
any one time. It did feel great to be up in such 
dandy weather again. 

The day before yesterday I wrote to Rivers and 
told him all I knew of my plans. I think it won't 
be many days now before I, and the other two 
Americans there with me, will be sent out to the 
front — most probably to join our own escadrille, 
but perhaps to enter some regular French escadrille 
and later to form the 2d American escadrille when 
a few more of the fellows have completed their 
training. 

Understand that we cannot be called officially the 
American Escadrille as the States have kicked about 



262 WAR LETTERS 

that. We are ojQScially the escadrille of volunteers, 
although I have heard rumors that we may be 
termed the Lafayette Escadrille. That wouldn't 
be a bad name at all. 

G. D. E., Division Nieuport. 

Secteur postal 92 A., France. 

Sunday, January 7th, 1917. 

My dear little Mother, 

It was Christmas Eve when I last wrote to you. 
Since then has come your letter written on Decem- 
ber 8th. 

On Christmas morning we got up fairly early and 
we had a jolly little tree gathering — the Parkers, 
including their two cute little daughters, some 
friends of theirs in the hotel and myself. It seemed 
so much like our Christmas mornings we all used to 
enjoy so much and wait for with so much impatience 
at the dear old home. The youngsters had a de- 
lightful time opening all their presents. I came in 
myself with a book and an electric pocket flashlight 
(something I needed very much too) which the 
Major and his wife gave me, and there were heaps 
of candy and candied fruit to be tasted. We had 
quite a time of it. 

I went down to the American Church at 10.30 for 
the Christmas service and remained for Holy 
Communion. The Major brought the youngsters 
down for the service also, but they came in a little 
late and sat back and didn't stay for Communion. 

At noon we all had a pleasant little family dinner 
at the hotel. 



EDMOND GENET 26S 

Along toward the middle of the afternoon I took 
a lonely walk down the beautiful Avenue de Bois 
de Bologne, which is one of Paris's prettiest drives, 
and then strolled over to Helen Harper's home for 
the evening dinner. She had a number of young 
friends in for it, including a young American chap 
in the American Ambulance service who was going 
several days later with a section being sent out there. 
The dinner was faultless and we all voted it a big 
success. 

We got up from the feast about nine o'clock and 
then danced until well onto midnight. They have 
a fine Victrola. 

Altogether it was a decidedly more agreeable and 
less lonely Christmas for me than I spent last year 
away out on the muddy front with the Legion and 
even better than the 1914 one, for you may recall 
I had to spend that one all by myself in Boston. 
Where was I the year before that too ? — Yes — just 
as lonely and more so in the Newport Training 
Station. 

New Year's Day I spent out here. New Year's 
Day is, with Independence Day (which occurs 
every year on July 14th), over here one of the big 
days of the year, bigger, indeed, than is Christ- 
mas. Every soldier in France received, just as at 
last year's New Year's Day, a glass of champagne 
with his mid-day feast. It wasn't half bad at all 
and the feed was excellent as far as army spreads 
go. 

In spite of the very disagreeable weather here 



264 WAR LETTERS 

which has prevailed nearly all the time I've man- 
aged to get in quite a good deal of time in flying. 
IVe gotten so terribly enthusiastic over it. Mother, 
that I just want to get out to the front and fly all 
the time. I'll get out there very soon now from 
all I can tell at present, but it simply is driving me 
crazy — this having to be here so long now with no 
absolutely definite word as to when we shall be 
called out. We understand, from the lieutenant 
of our escadrille that there is a machine for each of 
us ready and waiting with the escadrille for us to 
come out. Each is a 110 h. p. Nieuport. All I 
want now is just to get out there and drive into the 
enemy's territory and do — or be done myself. I 
hope earnestly that I'll be able to do the former be- 
fore I get the latter. 

Lufbery, our "ace," has already brought to 
earth six enemy avions, which is wonderful work 
on any pilot's part. 

Not one word thus far. Mother, from and 

the fact is simply eating the heart out of me, every 
day a little bit deeper. 

To-day being Sunday, there is liberty for all of 
us this afternoon, so there's no flying. It's time 
for the letters to be given out though, so I'm going 
over to the Division quarters and see if I have any. 

I've been over there for over an hour now wait- 
ing for the mail and it hasn't arrived, so this is 
another day of disappointment. Well — it's no 
worse than its many brother days before it. 







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Major Raoul Lufbery, American iVce of the Lafayette 
Escadrille. 

From the painting by Lieutenant Farre. 



EDMOND GENET ^65 

Have you read or seen the book "Kitchener's 
Mob," written by a young American fellow who 
was in the British forces in France during most of 
1915, James Norman Hall? Most probably you 
have heard of it anyway, and if you haven't yet 
read it; I advise your doing so as it is very good in- 
deed. Hall, as it happens, is now an eleve-pilote 
at the aviation school at Buc and one of our "hope- 
fuls" for the escadrille. 

My two years of absence will be complete to- 
morrow, dear Mother, and I'll be a real outcast; 
can call myself a genuine mercenary soldier of 
fortune, a man without a country. What a title 
over which to boast — only I can't boast. 

Back in my suitcase in Paris, which I am now 
keeping at the Roosevelt are two bundles neatly 
tied and in order. One contains all the letters you 
have written to me since I left you — the other holds 

all of those from . Each time I go into Paris 

and have any of your letters already answered I 
take them in and add them in order to the pile. 
Yours I've been able to add to right along, but it 
has been some time now since the other smaller 
pile has received any additions. I am positive 

that not one of yours or letters have I ever 

lost, even through all the hard campaigning with 
the legion. They are all there, little Mother, and 
some day I hope we can go over them together. At 
least you will be able to. You said once, I believe, 
that you are holding on to all of mine. If this is so 
I shall be very glad because they may be very use- 



266 WAR LETTERS 

ful to me some day if I ever desire to write up my 
experiences in story form. As it is I am now devot- 
ing some of my spare moments to writing out quite 
a complete and as readable an account as possible 
of my experiences in diary form beginning from De- 
cember 29th, 1914, the day I left the "G." It's 
a long, long task as I find lots of interest to write 
about in the majority of the days. I purchased 
some special blank-page books of 140 pages each 
(size 10 X 5 inches) and it looks as though I shall 
use up nearly two volumes for each year and this 
is the commencement of the third year ! I find it 
very amusing and interesting writing though and 
sometimes even quite sad. Possibly it reads more 
interestingly to me than it will to others, but I'm 
trying not to make it read that way as much as I 
possibly can. It takes lots of time though, and, as 
I can't write every day, the work is progressing 
rather slowly. 

G. D. E., Division Nieuport. 

Secteur postal 92 A., France. 

January 8th, 1917. 

Dear Star, 

From the whirligig way in which you write I 
guess you'll just have to be renamed the "Comet." 
By the time I had finished deciphering your "Epis- 
tle to the Rum ans " I had large doubts whether I 
was on my head or my feet, and felt more like 
calling for the doctor than anything else. How 
you do spin ! You got me all wound up and then 
deliberately left me there to untangle myself out 



EDMOND GENET ^67 

of a most hopeless mess of words. Woman, have 
you no tenderness in your heart? 

You certainly put a new one over on society 
when you handed them "Dawn." Few people 
ever know what dawn is anyway and those who ever 
get up early enough to see it rarely take the pains 
to look, so they can't appreciate what a wondrous 
thing it is. Were you the sun itself, or just one of 
its beautiful baby-pink rays? Do you remember 
the little song you used to sing to me? Surely 
you must still possess it. It's called "Dawn." 
Part of the words read, if I remember rightly, 
"Men saw the flush and called it Dawn — Dawn," 
etc., etc. You take particular notice, don't you, 
you young suffer-er-jet, that it says men and 
nothing about women ? Women, you see, were 
never up that early in the night to take notice. 
Unfortunate creatures ! 

When did I write to you last? I think it was 
before I left Pau. At any rate I shook the dust of 
that famous watering-place (it did rain a good deal 
while I was there) from my soles (I have two souls 
— one is mine and the other belongs to my left shoe 
— the right one is worn out) on December the tenth, 
year of — nineteen hundred and sixteen, deceased. 
That was the end of my training as un pilote- 
aviateur militaire frangais, and I was permitted to 
celebrate that great event with ten days in Paris, 
where I had a most joyous time indeed. My 
stays in Paris are far from lonely ones now, as I've 
made quite a number of mighty excellent friends 



268 WAR LETTERS 

and they keep my time pretty loaded with enjoy- 
able engagements. 

Since the 20th I've been vainly trying to be com- 
fortable and contented here. This is only a sort 
of reserve depot for us where we stay until orders 
come for us to go out to the front. It's about 
thirty miles out of Paris and so we can make fre- 
quent excursions to the city when life here becomes 
too boring. 

I saw "Samson et Dalila" played at the Na- 
tional Opera House in Paris, on Dec. 14th. Delmas 
played the part of the chief priest and was fine. 
There's something you not only want to visit, dear 
Star, but want to act in — the great National Opera 
House of Paris. It's the most beautiful and mag- 
nificent opera house I've ever seen and, I think, in 
the world. Some day I'd love to be in one of its 

boxes and hear Jeannette H sing the Parisians 

to her feet. Greater dreams than that have come 
true, Jeannette. 

Out at the front with our escadrille, which is 
now called officially "L'escadrille des Volontaires," 
is a 110 h. p. Nieuport all in readiness for me to 
pilot it out over the enemy lines to hunt down and 
destroy enemy machines. It's only a matter of a 
very few days now before I shall receive my orders 
to go out. I was so hopefully certain that I'd be 
out of here long before this that the delay, due to I 
don't know exactly what cause, has made me mighty 
fretful and restless. This place is terribly boring in 
spite of the fact that we can do and do do pretty 
much as we like. When we feel like flying we take 



EDMOND GENET 269 

a machine and go up for a flight and when we desire 
to loaf we loaf. Some mornings when the weather 
has been too disagreeable to permit flying I've 
stayed in bed scandalously late. Why get up? 
There are two other American fellows here with me 
waiting the same as I to go out to the front. 

Accidents seem to be happening 'most all the 
time in the schools — mostly due to carelessness ^on 
the part of the pilots. Two were killed at Pau after 
I left, two crashed to earth here in a big bombarding- 
machine just after I arrived, and on the Friday be- 
fore New Year's Day a pilot was burned to death 
in crashing to earth with a little English Sopwith 
scout-machine. 

The "ace" of our escadrille. Adjutant Lufbery, 
has brought down his sixth German aeroplane in 
aerial combat lately which is splendid work on his 
part. He is among the "aces" of the entire French 
aerial corps now. As soon as a pilot has brought 
down five enemy machines he is named in the daily 
French official despatches and becomes a marked 
man. Lufbery is the only American who has thus 
far reached that honorable stage. 

It's nearly two years since I left the States, 
J. H., and I'm getting old. Yes, I feel it, really. 
Why, even my hair is beginning to fall out ! I'll 
be an old man before you will even. 

Best to everybody and all of yours. 
Your devoted manager, 
Edmond Charles Clinton Genet ! ! ! 

Esq., 
Caporal pilote. 



270 WAR LETTERS 

Escadrille La Fayette, N-124. 

Secteur postal 182, France. 

January 20th, 1917. 

My dear little Mother, 

This is my first full day at the front with the 
escadrille. Like most all the occurrences of my 
life, this change has occurred with a jump. I was 
sent out here by the G. D. E. to get a machine from 
another escadrille here and pilot it back to the 
G. D. E. as it was one being discarded from use on 
the front. I arrived yesterday morning and dis- 
covered that the G. D. E. had already 'phoned here 
ordering me back without taking the machine as 
there had come an order for Bigelow, Parsons, and 
myself to join our escadrille. Instead of going 
back I stayed right here at the order of our captain, 
thus saving a rather unnecessary trip to the G. D. E. 
and back here. I've only a few things of my be- 
longings here as practically all my outfit I left at 
the G. D. E., thinking, of course, I would be back 
there. They're in the little hotel there where we 
all were staying and I'll be able to get them this 
next week. Parsons and Bigelow ought to be out 
here by Monday at the latest. 

It's a big relief to me to be out here at last, dear 
Mother. The rumble of the big guns this morning, 
which 'roused me from beneath my warm covering 
of four big blanlcets (for it's right cold here and 
we've snow all over the ground) wasn't new music 
to my ears. It seemed like old times, the roar of 
old comrades. 



EDMOND GENET 271 

Two of your letters lie unanswered, with many 
others, with my things, but I'll answer them more 
fully when I get my things again. 

It is by a very singular coincidence that I slept 
the night before last on my way out here at the very 
same little village in which I slept the very first 
night I reached the front here from Lyons with the 
Legion in March of 1915. I'll be flying over the 
very part of the front from which I first faced the 
enemy so many months ago in those early ones of 
the war. 

It may be some time yet before I have a machine 
of my own. Meanwhile, as two of the fellows are in 
America on leave, I'll be using one of theirs. The 
days are persisting in being so disagreeable lately 
that there has been very little flying done at all. 

We are quartered in a very comfortable wooden 
barrack, two to a room. There are orderlies for 
each of us, mechanics for each machine, and auto- 
mobiles to go around with if we care to go to any 
near-by big town. We eat excellently and really 
one feels quite like a prince — far different from the 
life in the schools — or in the famous Legion. 

I was with the Major a couple of days this week 
before coming out here, although he doesn't know 
yet, of course, that I am here for good. I intend 
to drop him a few lines to-day if possible. 

Gaylord Hubbel in Ossining told Mr. Harper 
some while ago about my having been the first to 
volunteer on board the Georgia to go ashore in case 
of necessity at Vera Cruz. Isn't it funny that all 



272 WAR LETTERS 

the good stories about me seem to be getting around 
and the others are keeping dark. Some day those 
will out and then there'll be a mess of affairs. 

I made my first little speech in public on 
Wednesday last. Mr. Hedin of the Brooklyn Eagle 
office in Paris took me to the monthly luncheon 
of the Associated Franco-English Press which was 
held at the Cafe de Paris (one of the best Parisian 
restaurants) and I happened to be the only one 
there who was in uniform. There were about 
forty newspaper men of the French, American, and 
British papers. The chairman, Mr. Adams, in- 
troduced two gentlemen who were to say a few 
remarks and then he announced that the great- 
great-grandson of Citizen Genet, who was serving 
with the French in the war in the aviation corps 
was with them and a few other remarks, and, of 
course, I had to get up and acknowledge as best I 
could. I didn't say very much, but they all say I 
did all right and lots of them came up after the 
luncheon and were very pleasant to me. 

Do you know. Mother dear, that it's exactly two 
years to-day that I sailed away from little old New 
York.f^ It seems impossible. 

Nothing yet from , Mother, and here I am 

going out to fight feeling the way I do over it — 
discouraged, lonely, blue, distracted. 

Endless love and best wishes to you and all, dear 
Mother, from 

Your devoted "third," 

Edmond. 



EDMOND GENET 273 

My dear little Mother, 

January 28, 1917. — My last letter, written the 
20th, was from the front, so of course you know all 
about my getting out here from that one. I've 
been to Paris since then, because on Monday I flew 
a machine in part of the way and then went by R. R. 
to Plessis to get my belongings which I had been 
forced to leave there when I was sent out the 
previous week. I got them, and, as the captain 
told me I need not rejoin them here until Thursday, 
I stayed the two intervening days with the Parkers 
in Paris. It was quite fortunate for me, because 
I was thus able to see Helen Harper before she left 
for Italy. 

Excuse this scrawl. I'm already "turned in" 
for the night, but am sitting up in my bunk and 
have a lamp beside me for illumination purposes. 
We're having the coldest weather I've found since 
coming over the "pond." These last few days 
have been superbly clear, but terribly cold and with 
a sharp, biting northerly wind. Everything freezes 
up. I actually had to thaw out my fountain pen 
the night before last to write up my diary and 
I've a bottle of ink which is simply a solid brick of 
iced ink. Needless to say, we heat up the water 
we use for washing purposes every morning. 

I've got a Nieuport of my own now, one which is 
really new, and to-morrow I go out over the lines 
with the escadrille for the first time. I haven't 
been out yet simply because there was no machine 
for me, and, in fact, I haven't been here many days 



274 WAR LETTERS 

yet, having been in Paris after my things a good 
part of this week. 

For the past two weeks I've been so much on the 
move that I haven't been able to answer letters or 
do much writing of any sort except write up my 
diary every night. I always manage to do that no 
matter how rushed or how tired I may be. This 
is the fifth year now I've been doing that without 
ever losing a single day. The diary Rivers sent me 
for this year is the right kind, but the company 
didn't get up as good a one this year as they have 
the former ones. You miscomprehended my words. 

I think I have a mighty courageous and brave 
little Mother, for you write that you would like to 
have been with me on that flight I took up over the 
Pyrenees at Pau. Do you think you would risk 
yourself with your wild "third" in a little flying- 
machine at 3,000 or more metres (about 9,000 ft.) 
away above clouds and jagged mountains? Some 
day I hope I shall be able to test your courage, little 
Mother. 

We have a very pleasant captain of the escadrille, 
and the lieutenant (de Laage) is a dandy fellow. 
Of course, Thaw, who is a lieutenant, looks out for 
us a good deal, but de Laage is our regular lieuten- 
ant. Both he and the captain speak English — 
particularly de Laage. We all eat together in one 
mess, and our cook is an Al man. 

Must get to sleep now, dear little Mother. I 
have to get off to the lines at 7 to-morrow morning, 
which means a rising at 6 o'clock. Flying these 



EDMOND GENET Stl5 

days is mighty cold work and risky, too, on account 
of the high winds. To-morrow I'll be under fire 
again — this time as an aviator not a Ugionnaire, 
Good night and God bless you. 

Your ever devoted son, 

Edmond. 



Escadrille N-124. 

Secteur Postal 192, France. 

February 2d, 1917. 

Dear, dear Rivers, 

Why your letter of December 4th didn't reach 
me until to-day I cannot tell except that it had, of 
course, to go to Pau and then to the G. D. E. and 
then out here; but I've already received letters of 
much later dates which have had to take the same 
route. At any rate it's here and I surely am mighty 
well contented to hear from you. 

I'm still watching each mail with sort of a for- 
lorn and dying hope for letters, but it does seem 
sort of a hopeless proposition. Indeed, I've been 
getting downright blue and disheartened over the 

whole affair. I'm too keen on not to have it 

hurt like the very dickens not to be hearing from 
her right along and to be utterly in the dark this 
way over the actual reasons why I don't hear or 
why she doesn't seem to receive my very frequent 
letters. Here it is February, 1917, and the last 
letter I had from her was in early August, 1916, 
except for the strange lonely postal which came in 
early November — all of which you already know 



276 WAR LETTERS 

from my former letters to Mom. Voild assez de la 
question du coeurl Tai une autre chose maintenant ct 
vous dire. £coute! 

You ask me something which both startles and 
amazes me. Are you really and actually serious 
about wishing to come over here and enter the 
aviation corps to fight with us for this glorious 
cause and country ? Do you mean to say that you 
are seriously thinking of following in the footsteps 
of your crazy, hair-brained kid brother.^ Rivers, 
I don't really know whether to advise you to come 
over or not. Of course the training is well worth it 
if one gets through all right and can return and take 
up aviation in the States. Undoubtedly there will 
be heaps of chances for us back there if we are 
capable of continuing when this big scrap is com- 
pleted and we're free to return chez nous, but the 
dangers and risks are mighty big and to have two 
of us in the game — well, think it over very care- 
fully before you do any moving. You certainly 
have — or seem to have — excellent chances of a 
commission for which I congratulate you with all 
my heart. Will it really be worth your while 
to give up all that, come over here, run the risk 
we're running, take from six to eight months in 
training, take the chance of being overthrown by 
your own country which you want to serve and even 
run the chance of having the war end before you 
could get time to put in any active service? For, 
after all, there are some chances at least that it will 
terminate before next year. If you do decide to 



EDMOND GENET 277 

come I advise you to do so well before July. Come 
as early in the Spring as possible — April will be a 
good month to start in training. Be sure, though, 
through a thorough medical exam, that you are 
O. K. in all physical matters and bring a medical 
certificate with you, a birth certificate (if possible), 
and you'll probably have to show references that 
you have no German connection, which, of course, 
will be easy as the fact of our excellent French 
ancestry will be sufficient to calm all suspicions and 
also, I guess, the fact that your younger brother 
has already two years of good service under the 
French colors and is in the Franco-American Corps 
will be enough to get you in all right. Look out 
for your passport though — I don't advise you to 
give the real reason of your coming over here when 
you get it. Say you are coming over to serve in 
the ambulance corps or else some private reason, 
such as I used — to look up property of your French 
connections, or some such reason as that — which I 
think will be better than the former I have sug- 
gested, the ambulance work, as in that you might 
have to produce papers from the American Am- 
bulance Service, etc., to confirm your statements, 
whereas a personal family reason would let you out 
of such trouble. 

How I would like to have you come, dear brother ! 
Think it all over mighty hard though before you 
make any definite move. I wouldn't be in any 
other place myself for all the world, but for you 
it*s an entirely different question indeed. Don't 



278 WAR LETTERS 

be rash. You already have got military prospects 
before you over there. I've got to win mine over 
here and I've already two years of steady excellent 
service to help me along toward that end. Again 
I say — don't be rash. Heaven knows, though, 
dear Rivers, I certainly would be delighted to have 
you here with me in this wonderful big fight — 
among this wonderful heroic people. 

If the U. S. accepts this latest extraordinary dic- 
tation from Germany which is in to-day's papers, 
about the steamship route to England I can't 
see that any genuine self-respecting American 
should feel justified in holding his head up any 
more. It's abominable and goes fully beyond all 
bounds of patience. Caesar or Nero could not have 
dictated any more severely to their slaves than has 
the Kaiser to our country. It's simply dictation 
and nothing more, and no self-respecting nation 
can stand it. Will ours ? Damn the Boches ! I 
hope and pray that I can live long enough to make 
them realize there's one American who refuses to 
be neutral in the face of their confounded audacities. 

Since getting out here I've been out over the lines 
but not very much on account of the weather. The 
days have been excessively cold and snowy and 
sleeping at night is no really warm event. We 
won't be very active as far as flying is concerned 
until more toward March, I'm afraid. I've got a 
machine of my own now — a 110 h. p. Nieuport. 
It's a dandy machine, but I burned out two cyl- 
inders this morning just after I started up and had 
to come back. The cold weather has been rotten 



EDMOND GENET 279 

for the oil and it froze in my tank and the oil 
clutch. I get a new motor to-morrow to replace 
the old. The first morning I flew over the lines I 
went 4,200 metres (about 12,600 ft.) which is some 
altitude for a clear and very cold morning. The 
view was wonderful and just about 500 metres be- 
low and to our right (I was out with one of the 
other fellows) shells fired at us from a German 
anti-aircraft battery were bursting. A light cov- 
ering of snow helped to accentuate the outlines of 
the ground, the railroad-lines, roads, villages, etc. 
That was one of our exceptional clear days though. 
This is surely no kid's game. It's mighty tiring 
and trying on the nerves and one feels it lots at the 
end of each day's flying. One has to keep con- 
stantly on the alert — and a mighty wide-awake alert 
too. Manoeuvring the machine has practically 
to be done involuntarily — mechanically, I should 
say, and keep all the senses absolutely on the alert 
for the enemy and the course taken. The enemy 
machines drop down behind one with blamed sud- 
denness and then there's the devil to pay. It's 
some job ! There isn't a great deal of danger of 
being brought down by shells although there have 
been machines brought down that way — mostly 
with a lot of luck on the part of the gunners. Both 
sides, though, do possess some mighty good anti- 
aircraft batteries. 

Now write to me immediately when you decide 
what you're going to do about coming over here — 
only, go thoughtfully. 

Ton frere devoue, Edmond. 



280 WAR LETTERS 



Escadrille N-124. 

Secteur Postal 182, France. 

February 10th, 1917. 

Dear Rivers, 

Since writing to you on the 2nd things of startling 
and vital interest, as you know, occurred between 
the States and Germany. It certainly seems in- 
evitable now that a real rupture will occur between 
the two and within a mighty short time also. Of 
course it is largely up to Germany to make the 
first hostile move, but we all look for and expect her 
to make such a move before many days — in fact, 
yesterday's papers reported an American schooner 
sunk by Germany and an English one with some 
Americans on board, I believe, who were lost. The 
tiny thread keeping the two powers from actual 
hostilities will certainly break soon. The last in- 
famous dictation from Germany about American 
shipping was simply outrageous. No nation could 
accept it and still be respected. Goodness knows 
we've swallowed enough of the Kaiser's dictations 
and excuses. If this last had been accepted I was 
determined to become a Frenchman without any 
scruples. Excitement surely must be tense over 
there over the crisis and the inevitable result which 
may come at any moment. Americans over here 
are wildly excited. We're chasing after the day's 
papers with considerable thirst and anxiety. We 
were all most amused yesterday when we read an 
article in the Paris edition of the New York Herald, 
which we receive every day, of Ford's offer of put- 



EDMOND GENET 281 

ting out no less than 1,000 submarines a day for the 
government in case of war. He says a pacifist, 
when fully aroused, is like a raging lion. It's a 
funny world this, isn't it ? 

Indirectly and unofficially we have been told 
that, on account of our serving France during the 
neutrality of the States, we have forfeited our rights 
of citizenship. Most of us don't credit the fact. 
Should the States enter the conflict it remains to 
be seen just what we can do, whether we can enter 
the service of the States or simply remain French 
aviators. The majority of us seem to favor the 
latter. We're here fighting the blame enemy and 
well satisfied with the fact. If the U. S. won't 
acknowledge us and the service we could render 
her in war-time — 'Hant pis.'' We'll stay here and 
continue to do our little bit as Frenchmen will- 
ingly. Some of the fellows hold commissions in 
their State guard. Whether they will be called 
back or allowed to go back to fill them is a question 
to be solved when the necessity arrives. The U. S. 
could take us all over as an escadrille, promote us, 
and let us remain right here to keep on fighting, 
increasing our number with men from the United 
States aviation service who are already military 
pilots. Will they do that.? 

The present situation should considerably alter 
your proposed idea of coming over here to join us. 
Rivers. Surely, in case of war, you can very 
quickly and easily secure your commission as en- 
sign and find more good in such a job than coming 



282 WAR LETTERS 

over here. Think it over mighty well before you 
act, for you certainly don't want to make a fool of 
yourself. If you think you can do better by com- 
ing don't for one minute let me discourage your 
wishes. You know best and personally I sure will 
be mighty glad to have you. Serious fellows are 
needed here. I'm no model myself, but I am quite 
positive that I'm decidedly serious about why I am 
here and my duty. Major Parker can assure you 
of that for he has seen more of me than any one else 
outside of the service. My age and my youthful 
looks are big drawbacks to me, but they're things 
I can't very well alter, so I have to get along with 
them as best I can. 

Write soon and let me know just what your plans 
are. By the time this reaches you you may be 
under war regime and thinking of fighting like we 
are doing over here. I haven't heard from, or of. 
Rod for some time and am wondering what is be- 
ing done with him in relation to the situation. Will 
he be held on the border to guard against invasion 
which may possibly be incited by Germany or 
called to repel internal troubles which will cer- 
tainly break forth should war be declared. There 
are far too many Germans and pro-Germans over 
there to prevent such deplorable occurrences. May 
they all come out the worst for their damnable ef- 
forts. 

Best wishes and much love from 

Your devoted brother, 

Edmond. 



EDMOND GENET 283 

Escadrille N-124. 

Secteur Postal 182, France. 

February 13th, 1917. 

My dear little Mother, 

I have been delayed in writing to you for several 
days as flying and writing letters are hard things to 
do the same day and I've had quite a number of 
letters lately which had to be written. I was held 
up for a while with flying on account of motor 
trouble and a new one was installed. Yesterday I 
tried it out and this afternoon I spent two solid 
hours over the lines and feel almost too tired now 
to write, but there are already two of your letters 
before me unanswered (Jan. 12th and 17th) and I 
feel I should at least try to get this off, even though 
I may have to complete it to-morrow. When one 
comes to think of it there is great possibility that 
many days will go by before this or any mail is 
sent over to the States or any comes over here 
from the States for the simple reason that reports 
have it that no ships are leaving with the mails 
either from here for the States or vice versa. Com- 
munications will probably be opened before very 
long, as armed vessels will very likely be sent out 
with all ships of American nationality on the seas 
on account of the present critical crisis between the 
States and Germany. I feel sure, as do most other 
people, that there will be actual war existing be- 
tween the two nations in a mighty short space of 
time — long before this reaches you. We cannot 
deplore such an event. It is the inevitable which 



284 WAR LETTERS 

has been coming all the while and we should be 
very thankful that our President has at last done 
the right thing at the right time. The people of 
the States seem to be far too much aroused and 
ready for war to permit of backing down. It is 
only for Germany to make the first hostile move now 
and it's a sure thing that she will, sooner or later. 
The rupture has gone too far now to prevent a 
complete severance and war. 

My last letter to you was on January 28th, the 
day before I made my first flight over the lines. 
Since then I have made quite a number of flights 
but have had no particular exciting experiences 
thus far. I've been shelled a few times and have 
nearly had my face frozen in the excessive cold 
which has prevailed these past few weeks. It has 
been bitterly cold practically all the while — very 
exceptional for France as the usual French winter 
weather is damp, rainy — with occasional wet snows 
— and plenty of raw winds. It has been marvel- 
lously clear for a long time, but we're likely to get 
the wet weather any day now. This continual 
clear weather — and so cold — is very surprising. 

We are having a little difficulty in securing suf- 
ficient coal and wood for our fires, but we're manag- 
ing to keep our living-room warm and habitable, 
and we cover up well in our cold rooms to sleep at 
night. One can't expect all the comforts of home 
in war-time at the front. 

Our living-room where we are most of the time 
while off duty is a mighty attractive little den. We 



EDMOND GENET 285 

have covered all tli6» walls and ceiling with corru- 
gated cardboard strips (smooth side outside) over 
the rough boards and on this in various places I 
have drawn and painted vivid scenes of aerial 
combats between French and German machines, 
etc., and here and there I've made other pencil 
drawings of girls. Each of the two doors is 
draped with attractive blue and brown curtains, 
the four windows have white curtains (except one 
which caught fire from a lamp by accident last 
night) and a huge painting of an Indian head, the 
symbol of the escadrille which is also painted on each 
of our machines. The Indian's mouth is open as 
though he was shouting his terrible war cry in de- 
fiance of his enemies and he looks very warlike in- 
deed. It's quite an appropriate symbol for the 
escadrille, being something genuinely American. 

For entertainment we have a pretty fair piano, 
which we have hired from a family in a near-by 
village by the month, and a victrola with a goodly 
supply of American and French records. There 
are at least &ve of us who have a smattering of 
musical ability so you can imagine that the piano 
is tinkling pretty frequently each day. Your 
"third" does his full share of the pounding with 
neither scruples nor regard for piano notes or the 
ears of the listeners. 'Nough said ! 

We eat splendidly all the time and, as we all 
eat "ensemble" without regard to military grade 
(captain and all) it is far more sociable and jolly 
than in the other escadrilles which have separate 



286 WAR LETTERS 

messes for officers and under-grade pilots. We have 
a very good system here of everybody speaking 
English throughout the noon meal and paying a 
fine of two cents for each break into French. At 
dinner it is just the opposite; we all speak French 
and pay fines for any mistakes into English. It 
helps us learn French and the Captain and Lieuten- 
ant, who are French, and who can speak pretty fair 
English, learn English. It works finely. 

We each have two mechanics to care for our 
machines and an orderly to look after our personal 
wants, so you see we are pretty well off. We have 
an excellent chef too. 

Still no word from and I'm far more dis- 
couraged than ever — than I can express to any one, 
dear Mother. Perhaps I'll hear from her before 
very long. I surely hope so, as you can well 
imagine. 

My dear Mother, from your letter I imagine that 
you think I intended to go over there on that fur- 
lough I spoke of finally not taking, and never re- 
turning here. For goodness sake don't suppose 
anything like that. It isn't what I had in mind at 
all. I merely would have spent a couple of weeks 
or so with you and then returned; besides, I found 
out I would be sent to the front much sooner than 
I at first supposed. I had absolutely no intention, 
dear Mother, of quitting over here the place I 
cherish so much. Get such a foolish supposition 
out of your dear head quick. 

Mrs. Parker is keeping my suit free from moths 



EDMOND GENET 287 

and creases, and I don't believe I'll outgrow it for 
some time. I wore it one night while in Paris, 
just to try it and to get a brief change from a stiff 
uniform. It really felt good too. 

Rod and Rivers have both sent me pictures of 
themselves, so all I want now is one of you, dear 
little Mother. Try to get one. 

Must call this off now and get myself tucked 
away for sleep. I'm jolly well tired. 

Best wishes to everybody and just heaps of love. 

Your loving son, 

Edmond. 



Escadrille N-124. 
Secteur Postal 182, France. 
February 13th, 1917. 
Dear Leah, 

It looks mighty like there will be real war con- 
siderably before this tardy epistle ever reaches 
you. You are quite right in your idea that every- 
thing will turn out for the best. It's turning 
quicker than we thought. The inevitable has at 
last happened — or will very shortly, from all ap- 
pearances, and thank Providence for it, too, that 
our President has at last seen fit to do the right 
thing at the right time. In fact, when we look the 
affair squarely in the face, it was the one thing he 
could do — show the cold shoulder to Germany. 
Can you wish peace when you realize the infamous 
dictation Germany sent to our government over 
American shipping.? Could you walk a narrow 



288 WAH LETTERS 

chalk-line, doubled up and with your hands behind 
your back and all sorts of other humiliations with 
a loaded pistol ready to be fired at you if you ran 
off the line and not feel ready to contest your right 
when you had sufficient strength to do so? No, 
never; and so it is with your country. War is cer- 
tain unless Germany backs down, and it's a very, 
very doubtful question whether she will. Nine 
out of ten chances she won't. When we look at it 
from her side we find many reasons why she would 
benefit by having America at war against her. 
The greater part of the munitions which the States 
are now sending to help the Allies would have to 
be held over there for our own use as we are greatly 
unprepared and undoubtedly Germany would in- 
cite the Mexicans to invade over the border and we 
would need arms and munitions to repel them. 
There would be innumerable internal troubles 
throughout the whole country to be repelled, for 
America is full of pro-Germans who would do all 
in their power to help their Fatherland. 

You'll be giving up school-teaching yet, Leah, to 
don the attractive garb of a Red Cross nurse to care 
for the "poilus" (French army slang term for 
soldiers). 

You see by my address that I am at the front 
with the escadrille. I came out soon after the 
middle of January and feel mighty well pleased to 
again be on active service. Flying over the enemy 
lines is wonderful and extremely exciting work and 
a bit of a strain on one's nerves as well. Lately 



EDMOND GENET 289 

it has been exceptionally cold work also and several 
times I have come near freezing my face — espe- 
cially its nasal member. The cold weather has been 
rather hard on the motors — ^freezing up the oil and 
making all sorts of trouble. It bids fair to warm up, 
though, now, and I predict a lot of the usual French 
winter weather — such as we endured last year to 
great displeasure — rain, sleet, and continual damp 
winds. We have delightful quarters in which to 
live here at the aviation base, but coal and wood 
are quite scarce and difficult to secure, so the ques- 
tion of heating is often rather deplorable. We man- 
age to keep our attractive living-room comfortably 
warm and we cover up snugly and warmly in our 
wnheated rooms to sleep at night. C'est comme ga 
en guerre. 

We have one highly honored man in the esca- 
drille, so far, who is one of the French "aces," 
having brought down, to date, six enemy aero- 
planes. His name is Lufbery and he has just been 
awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor, the 
highest French medal. He already has received 
the French War Cross and the Military Medal. 

You would be quite startled to see our mascot of 
the escadrille. Just at present he is rolling and 
frolicking about the floor with his pal, a black-and- 
white terrier. He is an eight-and-a-half-months- 
old lion cub and we call him "Whiskey." He has 
been with the escadrille since he was about a month 
old and is quite a pet with us all. He really don't 
know whether he's a lion or a dog. More than 



290 WAR LETTERS 

likely he thinks he's the latter, for all the animals 
he has ever seen or played with have been dogs and 
his real companion is this terrier who sleeps with 
him every night. "Whiskey" is some lively pup 
all right and quite playful though he growls as 
though he was angry at every one including himself. 
We can take him up in our arms and fondle him, and 
while we are eating at the table he goes racing 
around the table from one to the other and climbs 
up with his great clumsy paws on the table's edge 
to beg loudly for his share. Unfortunately "Whis- 
key " is blind in his right eye, having been hit there 
accidentally by one of the fellows when he was a 
trifle too obstreperous one time, and it causes him, 
as well as ourselves, some anxiety. It rather spoils 
his looks too. He has a genuine liking for expensive 
fur coats, hats, leather jackets, etc., in fact, most 
anything chewable in which he can lay his teeth, 
so we have to be very particular as to where we lay 
our belongings. He has chewed up quite an ex- 
pensive amount already in his young life. He's 
worse than a goat or a monkey in that regard. 

Whether this will get to you before next year is 
a question, for latest reports say that no ships 
are leaving for the States at the present time. 
Possibly there will be a mail route established via 
the North Pole. Steamships between the two 
countries will very likely start to run in a short 
while, adequately protected by war-vessels. We'll 
be in the self-same fix for mails from the States 
ourselves, which saddens me considerably. Don't 



EDMOND GENET 291 

permit that to stop you from writing, though, by 
any manner of means. Letters will get through 
somehow before very long. 

My best wishes to you and yours, Leah. If you 
become a Red Cross nurse, in the event of war, 
come over here to work in Paris at the Amer. 
Ambulance. Then I'll get a German to shoot me 

^* Your amiable "poilu," 

Edmond. 

P. S. Use the escadrille's address when you write. 



Escadrille N-124. 

Secteur Postal 182, France. 

February 16th, 1917. 

Dear Twinkling One, 

Yours of just a month ago came on Wed., so you 
see how prompt I am — sometimes. I've got a terri- 
ble lot of other letters which should be answered, 
but just thirty-two and a half seconds ago I said 
Oh, d — hang them ! and pulled out yours and, 
anyway, it has been well over a month since I last 
used ink for your sake, so I'd better get to it if I 
want to make you take life cheaply and run off 
with me some day in apple-blossom time in a one- 
place aeroplane — you, of course, hanging on to the 
rudder. 

You see since I last wrote to you I've come out 
to the front and am on active service. I came out 
just after the middle of last month. Since I've 
been flying over lines quite a bit, but until yester- 



292 WAR LETTERS 

day's fights I've not had much excitement. The 
weather has been wonderful of late for flying, only 
very, very cold and frosty. These last few days 
have become warmer and to-day a little rain has 
fallen. 

Well, now, what do you think of peace and doves ? 
War may be hammering at your doors yet, Star, 
and you'll be fitting on the pretty uniform of a Red 
Cross nurse and singing to the wounded soldiers 
and looking more lovable every day, — superlatively 
so. 

Won't you drop in for tea some afternoon and 
play and sing for us.^ We'd just love to have 
you, dear Star. You could even dance, for the room 
is fairly big with a stove in the middle to make it 
comfortable these chilly days. Please come ! 

Au revoir. Yours, 

Edmond. 

February 20th, 1917. 

My dear Uncle Clair, 

Since writing to you last I have completed my 
training as an "aviateur militaire" and have come 
to the front. I joined our escadrille of American 
volunteers soon after the middle of January and 
have been flying on active service ever since — 
when the weather permitted. Up until this last 
week it has permitted pretty regular flying and I've 
seen — or rather participated — in some very ex- 
citing combats with enemy airmen. On Thurs- 
day morning of last week I got into a hot old 



EDMOND GENET 293 

scrap with two enemy biplane machines quite a 
ways back of their first line, and only four hundred 
metres over several of their anti-aircraft batteries. 
I succeeded in driving both adversaries earthward 
after some lively manoeuvring and exchanging of 
machine-gun fire, but the batteries made it decid- 
edly hot for me after it was over. I made swift 
tracks for the upper atmosphere in a good zigzag 
course to outwit the range-finders at their nasty 
game of placing shells under my tail and around my 
wrings in attempts to clip them for me. Life here 
is not all one long sweet idle dream. 

A final break with the Central Powers certainly 
seems inevitable for the States before very many 
days. Everything seems to point that way. 
Really when one looks at the thing squarely in the 
face it would seem that Germany will really benefit 
by having the States join the Entente Powers 
against her. It would tend to greatly reduce the 
present output of munitions from the States to the 
Allies as they would be forced to make them to 
increase our absurdly small supply, other supplies 
now being sent over here would be greatly dimin- 
ished. Germany could incite an invasion on our 
southern border by the Mexicans and innumerable 
quantities of internal troubles on the part of the 
pro-Germanic subjects of our free-born country — 
one of the most deplorable facts to be faced in the 
event of war — and the blockade which German 
submarines are waging could extend, without 
question of neutrality, to American commerce aid- 



294 WAR LETTERS 

ing the Allies. It would shorten the duration of 
the war without much doubt, but in the end it 
would be Germany's profit. Every one connected 
with diplomatic matters seems to be practically 
certain of actual hostilities within a mighty short 
time. Thank Providence that President Wilson 
at last took the stand he did when such outrageous 
dictations were sent by Germany on American 
shipping. It was astounding and enough to roil 
the most pacific of pacific American citizens. It's 
utterly deplorable that it didn't roil our eminent 
statesman, W. J. Bryan. So one ought to take 
violent measures against him. 

We are delightfully situated with regard to quar- 
ters and in spite of the scarcity of coal we manage 
to keep warm in our attractive little living (and 
mess) room. We eat splendidly and have good 
times when off duty. W^e've hired a piano from a 
family in a near-by village and have a small vic- 
trola with a good supply of American and French 
records to amuse us and our French aviation friends. 
There are at least five of us who can make the ivories 
sound to certain degrees like real music. 

The Christmas holidays passed so quickly that 
I didn't get much chance to write. I had a few 
days in Paris after leaving Pau on Dec. 10th and 
spent Christmas Day there also, but was pretty 
busy the rest of the time with flying and then I 
came out here in January. Now it's all grim work 
until the conflict ends some day in next year, or the 
one after that. 



EDMOND GENET 295 

Love and warmest wishes to you all and every 
best wish for this new year. 
Affectionately, 

Edmond C. C. Genet, 

Caporal Pilote. 



Escadrille N-124. 

Secteur Postal 182, France. 

February 24th, 1917. 

My dear little Mother, 

I haven't written to you since the thirteenth and 
you must be thinking something has happened to 
me although I have written to Rod since that date 
and you'll see his letter most likely by the time this 
gets to you. Thus you will know that on the morn- 
ing of the fifteenth I had my first two real aerial 
combats and, as I told him all about them, etc., 
I needn't go into details here all over again. Since 
then the days have been extremely dull and muggy, 
and we've done practically no flying at all. I've 
used a good deal of the time in writing letters and 
notes in my memorandum, etc., and my war- 
diary, but haven't half succeeded in diminishing 
the pile of letters I had to answer. 

Thursday of this week several of us motored up 
to see the Legion which we learned was stationed 
not far from where we are, and I saw several of my 
old fighting mates including the little South Ameri- 
can friend of whom you must remember my writing 
about quite frequently. He was well and we were 



296 WAR LETTERS 

both mighty glad to see each other again. I've 
written to him off and on as he has to me, and 
have sent him some magazines and lately some 
cigarettes. We may run up there again before 
long as several of us have been "legionnaires" 
and we know many old comrades who are still 
there. My old 4th Company is now the 2d. 
Although Ester, the S. A., is in the 9th. They 
were quartered in as muddy and desolate a little 
hamlet as you could ever imagine. They've been 
holding the trenches in the very same secteur where 
we were in May and June of 1915. Every time I 
fly over the lines I go over that part and several 
other parts wherein I have lived and suffered in 
rain and mud and bombardment with the Legion. 
It brings back all the old days every time I gaze 
down on those spots from my Nieuport. My fight 
of last week was directly over a fair-sized town just 
behind the enemy's lines toward which I used to 
gaze on many a weary guard in our trenches. I 
never thought then that I'd be a birdman and 
flying over those hostile lines far into the enemy's 
territory. It felt good to go back and see the 
Legion and realize that I no longer was one of them, 
though I sure don't regret the times I spent with it. 
Some oflScers are coming to have dinner with us 
this evening, so I must quit this and get tidied up, 
as it's near the hour now. All kinds of love, dear 
Httle Mother, and heartiest wishes to all. 

Ever your devoted "poilu," 
Edmond. 



EDMOND GENET 297 

Escadrille N-124. 

Secteur Postal 182, France. 

March 5th, 1917 

Dear Rivers, 

Most hearty congratulations for winning your 
commission. It's surely splendid and I'm as de- 
lighted as any one could ever be over it, too, dear 
brother. You certainly deserved it. You studied 
and worked hard enough for it, I'm sure. I'm glad 
"Mac" won his lieutenancy, too. He must feel 
fine over that. Now, b'gosh, I've got to stand at 
attention and call you "Sir." I'm only a bloomin' 
caporal, though I may be a sous-officier by the time 
this reaches you as I have nearly flown enough 
hours over the enemy lines to receive my promo- 
tion. Even then I wouldn't want to change places 
with you in spite of your stripe. This is too won- 
derful a life over here with entirely too many possi- 
bilities of stripes in the future. 

The day before yesterday we had a hurried call 
to chase a German machine inside our lines, and 
I was the first to start out. I was in so much of a 
hurry to get off that I started out with the wind 
too much on one side, and it turned me over in less 
time than you can think of it. The machine 
was completely smashed up. I was mad as any 
one could be. I didn't even get a scratch either. 

Yesterday I got lost while at 4,000 metres over 
the enemy lines (I went in alone more than forty 
miles in the morning) and I landed away down at 
Paris. The mist was terrible. I filled up with 



298 WAR LETTERS 

fuel, returned to the lines and got lost once more 
away up in the English sector north of the Somme, 
and had to land at one of their aviation-camps to 
find out where I was. Coming down the lines 
again, I ran out of fuel and had to land at a French 
aviation-camp to replenish my stock, had lunch 
with an escadrille there and returned chez nous 
afterward. Altogether I covered about 450 kilo- 
metres between 7.40 and 2.00 o'clock in the after- 
noon — about 4 hours' flying. I was some tired, as 
the mist was extremely thick and it was nerve- 
racking to pilot through it. 



Escadrille N-124. 

Secteur Postal 182, France. 

March Sth, 1917. 

My dear little Mother, 

I am answering your letter of February 7th, which 
arrived several days ago. On the 5th, I answered a 
letter from Rivers which I received the previous 
day telling me, among other things, that he really 
had passed the exams, and had received his coveted 
commission as Ensign in the Sth Div. I sure was 
delighted over that fine piece of news. It's splendid 
and he deserves all possible credit for his efforts. 
I presume it is as you write — that Rod will have to 
remain a much longer time than was expected, 
down along the border while the country is on the 
brink of a possible war. He must be completely 
fagged out with the place there. 

Do please, dear Mother, be easy with yourself. 



EDMOND GENET 299 

Recognize the fact that you are too well along in 
life to be working as hard and taking as many risks 
to your health as you used to do and were able to 
stand. You simply won't be able to stand it very 
long, but will break down and then where will you 
be? Do be careful. Mother. 

The day before yesterday I got my nose and one 
cheek all frozen while flying over the lines. Yester- 
day the skin had all peeled off, but I put vaseline 
over it and now the new skin is forming. I'm a 
sight though, for the present, although it isn't very 
painful. I guess I really started to freeze up last 
Sunday for that morning I was up in the air nearly 
Rye steady hours, and it was extreme chilly, and 
then the sharp wind of the day before yesterday 
finished up the job. I scarcely noticed the chill 
wind at the time. 

Last Sunday I was far into the German territory 
and got lost. I shouldn't have gotten lost but the 
mists all around were extremely thick and all I 
could see was the ground directly below me — a 
matter of 4,000 metres beneath me — and it was 
really simply luck that I got back over French ter- 
ritory, instead of getting more into enemy territory, 
before I ran out of fuel and had to land at an avia- 
tion-camp. After filling up I returned to the lines 
and got lost again up in the sector of the British 
forces and had to land at one of their aviation-camps 
to find out where I was. Altogether I was in the 
air nearly Rve hours that morning. It was quite 
a trying experience as the mists were almost too 



300 WAR LETTERS 

thick to make out one's direction. The only thing 
that I could rely on was my compass. 

The Captain just asked me if I knew what were 
the sufferings of the men in the trenches during 
winter days such as we're having now. I guess he 
doesn't quite realize that I've had two winters out 
there with them. I realize as well as any of them 
what misery the troops suffer out there along those 
chill, wet, muddy lines. My own experiences there 
haven't been in any degree more comfortable than 
those of any of them. 

Several of us motored over a second time last 
week to see the Legion, as it is near us in repose. 
We saw several of the Americans still in it and had 
three of them over to dine with us one day. One of 
the fellows, Casey by name, is from the art sections 
of Paris, where he worked previous to the war, and 
we're trying to secure permission for him to come 
over here for several days to draw our pictures. 
He wants to do so very much indeed. He is one 
of those who joined the Legion in August, 1914. 

Must close now. It's lunch-time. If I'm in 
Paris on Sunday you may be sure I'll be on hand 
at the American Church for the morning service — 
perhaps also for early communion. 

My name has been put in by the Captain for 
promotion to the grade of Sergeant, so I guess by 
another fifteen days I'll be one and be drawing 
about 80 cents a day for pay. 

Heaps of love, dear little Mother. God bless 
you. 



EDMOND GENET 301 

Escadrille N-124. 

Secteur Postal 182, France. 

March 15th, 1917. 

My dear Rivers, 

Yours from the "Granite State" came a day or so 
ago. In fact, I found it waiting here when I got 
back on Monday afternoon from spending the 
week-end in Paris. 

It is fortunate that I got in when I did, for an 
order was issued yesterday suspending indefinitely 
all leave on account of forthcoming activities on the 
front. I managed to do all that I wished while 
there, so it doesn't cut much ice with me one way 
or the other now. 

It seems to me that you are right about the price 
of your mess being a trifle steep, although, of course, 
you have to think of the service and the position. 
We, ourselves, over here in actual war are paying 
about six francs ($1.20) apiece a day for our fare 
and that does not include service. We eat splen- 
didly — except for the service — I've no doubt but 
that v/e eat just as well as do you. The Franco- 
American Corps gives us so much a month to help 
pay for our mess. 

My present pay is only about 48 cents a day as a 
corporal, but I've already been proposed for ser- 
geant and the order should come in soon. I'm prac- 
tically drawing the pay now because when the order 
comes it will read from the day I was proposed — 
the 10th — so I'll get pay from that date. A ser- 
geant's pay per month is about 240 francs which is 



302 WAR LETTERS 

roughly $48. That is a big jump from corporal 
you see. Besides that, each of us receives about 
$20 a month for personal use, from the F. A. Corps, 
so you see we get nearly $70 per month as sergeant, 
quite suflScient on which to exist comfortably. 

War seems far more certain now for you than it 
did when I last wrote. Every one over here con- 
nected with the military side of the U. S. says war 
is merely a question of days now. Major Parker 
seems sure of it. Another thing (I don't give it 
much credit yet, but it's worth thinking about) 
is that I have heard very indirectly lately that there 
are commissions already at Paris for all of us to be 
given immediately in the event of war — commis- 
sions appointing us either first or second lieutenants 
— according to our merits here on the front — in the 
U. S. Naval Aviation service. We would simply 
be taken over by our government, be commis- 
sioned, and remain here on the front as we are now. 
All that seems a good deal to be so. Major Parker 
assures me he feels sure that I shall find no difficulty 
in getting cleared should war come on. I'm not 
worrying about it too much, though it is on my 
mind all the time. He tells me not to cross any 
bridges before I come to them, which I'm follow- 
ing as pretty good advice. 

You're right about not having very exciting pros- 
pects ahead of you should war come, if you all are 
to be in the coast-patrol reserve fleet. Maybe 
you'll be on the Georgia. She's in the Phila. Navy 
Yard attached to the reserve force now, I believe. 



EDMOND GENET 303 

You might have exciting times, even then, along 
the coast with submarines, but it's doubtful at that. 

There's coming a time when the Aviation service 
will be completely separate from both the Army 
and Navy — the real Fifth Arm. It should really 
be that way anyhow. You ask me for an essay 
on French aviation if it is permissible for me to 
write about it. There are lots of things I can't 
tell you about on account of their secrecy, but I 
guess it won't bring any harm to either the French 
government or myself to give you the following 
facts : 

All aviation corps are, of course, divided into the 
following groups: bombardment, artillery regula- 
tion, reconnoitring and chase and combat. The 
latter (chase and combat) is the kind to which we 
belong. It is composed of the smaller, lighter, and 
faster machines. The French use very few avions 
de chasse carrying two men. Practically all are 
monoplace machines. These comprise the Nieu- 
port and Spad (both biplane avions) and the Morane 
monocock (not very much used). It is a mono- 
plane. You probably already know what functions 
we have — protecting our lines and territory from 
invasion by hostile machines in order to prevent 
photographic work, reconnoitring, artillery re- 
glage, and bombardment. We also protect our 
own machines of these last types over the enemy 
territory, although very exceptionally because 
there are certain escadrilles de chasse which are 
attached to these other groups as their protectors. 



304 WAR LETTERS 

Our chief duty is to patrol over the lines — some- 
times only along the lines themselves, and other 
times going well into the enemy's territory to hunt 
down their machines, at the same time keeping 
our eyes open for movements of their troops, etc. 

We generally go in groups of from two to four, or 
occasionally six — very rarely alone, particularly 
inside the German lines. 

Reconnoitring and photography work is done 
principally by biplace machines such as the Sop- 
with, the bimotor Caudron and the Morane Parasol. 
This last is used more by the British than by the 
French. Farman biplanes do photography work, 
but their chief function is artillery regulation. 
The bombarding expeditions — particularly those 
carried on in the night at long distances — are 
effected by the heavy Voisin biplanes and fre- 
quently by Farmans. The Voisins are armed with 
a one-pounder cannon as well as a machine-gun. 
Sopwith monoplane machines are excellent as they 
are fairly rapid, easily manoeuvred, are armed with 
two machine-guns — one forward, fixed stationary on 
the plane superieure and fired by the pilot from his 
seat, and the second in the rear beside the gunner, 
from where he can aim and fire it in practically 
every direction — and they can offer a very formida- 
ble resistance when attacked. The Morane Para- 
sols (the one plane is above the fusillage, giving 
it the appearance of a parasol) are likewise ex- 
cellent for observation and photography, having, 
like the Sopwith, two machine-guns mounted in 



EDMOND GENET 305 

the same positions and therefore are easily defended. 
They are more fragile and dangerous to handle, 
though, than the Sopwith, and therefore are not 
quite so good. 

The bimotor Caudron biplanes are excellent, 
fast, and very easy to manoeuvre. They are armed 
with one machine-gun (movable) and the gunner 
(who is also the observer) is placed forward of the 
pilot. The Farman machines are along somewhat 
these same lines, but are much slower and far more 
difficult to handle quickly, presenting, therefore, 
much less resistance to attack — especially from the 
rear. 

The motors made in France and used in aviation 
are far, far superior to any made in America. The 
English use French motors in their planes almost 
entirely. Germany has excellent motors, but two 
are merely copied from French ones. Their Mer- 
cedes is as good as any motor. The French Rhone 
rotary motor, though, far excels any other both in 
simplicity of running and in strength and dura- 
bility. You will see in many American aviation 
periodicals the advertisements of the Gnome rota- 
tive motor and it is used a great deal there in aero- 
planes. Over here it is only used by the French on 
some of their machines, such as the Bleriot mono- 
plane, -which are used in their schools. The Rhone 
rotary is an improvement on the Gnome and it's a 
great improvement too. The French also have a 
rotary motor — the Clerget — which is very good. 

I guess I've written enough about French a via- 



306 WAR LETTERS 

tion for you now without overstepping the limits 
of secrecy. I hope so. Ask me any questions, 
though, which you wish to and I'll answer them if 
permissible or I can. 

You can probably find some fairly good books 
on aviation over there and talk as much as possi- 
ble with aviation men, but donH believe all they 
say to you. Aviation is a pretty poorly known 
subject over there yet. They haven't had one- 
eighth of the practical experience which the French 
have gained over here since August, 1914. And 
they have largely profited by it. 

"Jim" MacConnell, one of the fellows here who 
wrote such a good article about the escadrille in 
the Atlantic Monthly has had a longer account 
published in book form, called "Flying for France," 
by James M. MacConnell. You should get it and 
read it, for it is mighty well written and true. 

Don't let the Boche blow up anything around old 
Manhattan Isle. They've done sufficient damage 
already. To-day's paper says they have just tor- 
pedoed "sans avertissement " the Algonquin, car- 
rying the American flag. 

I hope some one of our armed merchant-vessels 
see and fire upon a German U-boat without any 
warning soon and sink it. They've got orders 
to do just that, so let them do it. Strafe the 
damned Boches ! 



EDMOND GENET 807 

Escadrille N-124. 

Secteur Postal 182, France. 

March 20th, 1917. 

Dear little Mother, 

We are all feeling decidedly blue because our 
oldest pilot of the escadrille — one of the four who 
were its first members (the other 3 were Prince, 
Chapman and Rockwell) — has been missing since 
yesterday morning and undoubtedly is on the 
other side of the lines — either dead or wounded and 
a prisoner. He is MacConnell, the one who wrote 
such a good account of the escadrille which was 
published in World's Work, He and I were out 
together yesterday morning over the new territory 
just captured by the French and English, and 
about ten o'clock, while well inside the enemy lines, 
we encountered two German biplane machines. 
I mounted to attack the nearest and left Mac to 
take care of the second, and it is the last seen of 
him. There were plenty of clouds and mist, and 
after I had finished my scrap with the one I at- 
tacked, in which I got one of my main upper wing- 
supports cut in half, a guiding-rod cut in half, 
several bullets through my upper wing, and half 
an explosive bullet in the side of my left cheek, 
which stunned me for a moment, I went down lower 
to look for "Mac" and help him if he was hard 
pressed, and looked all around and waited for 
fifteen minutes for him to show up, but I could see 
neither him nor the German machine which must 
have attacked him. My upper wing was in great 



308 WAR LETTERS 

danger of breaking off, the support being half cut 
through, my wound was bleeding and pained quite 
a bit, so I finally headed back for camp, hoping Mac 
had perhaps missed me and gone back before me. 
I had a driving wind to face going back and had to 
fly very low to get beneath heavy clouds to see my 
way. When I got to ground on our field I looked 
in vain for Mac's machine. When I asked if he 
had returned my worst fears were confirmed. He 
had not, and we have, up to the present time, had 
absolutely no news of him whatsoever. It's terri- 
ble, little Mother. I feel horribly over it, for I 
was the only one with him. If I could have only 
seen what became of him — ^been nearer to him while 
fighting, but I had to go up to keep both machines 
from coming down on him. I headed off one and 
fought it against all odds, because I couldn't gain, 
in the short time I had, an appreciable advantage 
over him, and his gunner was able to shoot much 
easier than I as we were on the same level circling 
around each other. It was one of his first shots 
which hit me. It stunned me for a second, but I 
kept at him and fired until we nearly collided. 
Then I dived to look out for Mac and then couldn't 
locate him. A battery kept shelling me as I came 
down. Poor Mac, Mother ! I've been out of my 
mind ever since getting back yesterday. My 
wound is* slight. It was dressed as soon as I got 
back. It pains dully, but will be all right soon and 
won't keep me from continuing my duties. I'd 
have gone out to-day, but for the rotten condition 



EDMOND GENET 309 

of the weather — wanted to go yesterday afternoon 
to look for Mac or his machine if it had fallen inside 
the German lines, but my machine had to be re- 
paired. Our lieutenant and Lufbery did go out to 
look for signs or news of him, but found nothing. 
It's miserable luck. The Commandant told me 
I did bravely — I wish I could have done more — 
have saved poor Mac from his fate. 

Since last Friday there has been an enormous 
amount of activity on this front. The big French 
and British advance has given us all a strenuous 
amount of work each day. Friday I was after 
enemy observation balloons. Saturday morning at 
6.10 several of us went out on an alert after Zeppe- 
lins. I was the one to attack as I carried incendiary 
bullets, the others were my guard. Unfortunately 
we were sent out in a wrong direction and missed 
the Zeppelins and one of the fellows and myself 
became lost above the clouds and had to land for 
lack of fuel in the west of France. We got back at 
one-thirty that afternoon. One Zeppelin had been 
brought down by anti-aircraft battery fire just 
South of Compi^gne at 6.15 that morning. Had 
we gone up above the clouds toward the east that 
morning, instead of heading north as we did, we 
would have undoubtedly sighted the Zeppelin and 
consequently your "third" might now be a Zeppe- 
lin conqueror. Its motors were out of order and 
it was drifting south with the wind when brought 
down in flames by the batteries. I could have 
caught it easily and set it on fire immediately with 



310 WAR LETTERS 

my incendiary bullets. My luck wasn't with me 
then. 

On Sunday I was out reconnoitring with patrols 
both morning and afternoon over the new territory 
gained by the French and yesterday I had the ex- 
perience with MacConnell which I've already told 
you. 

The retiring Germans have completely torn up 
the country, burned the villages, carried off many 
of the civilian population — especially the old men 
and young women, those left have been outra- 
geously mistreated, half starved and left with their 
homes in destruction. Trees have been cut down, 
or half cut, so they would fall over with the wind 
and obstruct routes. Roads were blown up every- 
where and railroads destroyed. Regions have been 
flooded and all kinds of other things done to im- 
pede the advance, and all supplies of food, etc., 
have been taken by them. The ground captured 
by the Allies is virtually a barren waste. It was 
very interesting to fly over this territory just be- 
fore the attacks — while the villages were being 
burned by the enemy. Practically no opposition 
up to date has been offered by the retiring Germans. 
There has been little loss of life and the advance 
has really been carried out by the French and Eng- 
lish cavalry. It's quite a change from the trench 
warfare. The French civilians whom the enemy 
left in the villages when they retreated were so 
overjoyed when the French troops came that they 
fell on the soldiers' necks and embraced and kissed 



EDMOND GENET 311 

and wept over them. The children shouted and 
danced and waved French flags at us as we flew at 
a low altitude over them these last few days. It 
was very novel and exciting. Peronne and all the 
region between Roye and Soissons has been taken 
and the advance is continuing every day. It is 
cheering everybody up. 

The new Russian government just set up seems 
to be in better favor than the old one was and the 
French are patching up satisfactorily their internal 
political troubles, so the news all around is good, 
and now it seems very certain that the States will be 
with the Allies in full measure very soon. Even far- 
away China has thrown off relations with the Huns. 

Don't worry, dear little Mother, over my wound 
or anything else. God has been very good to me 
thus far and He knows best what shall become of 
me. I'd be very willing to have a dozen such 
wounds if poor MacConnell were only back with 
us. I'll avenge him if it costs me my own life. 

Every bit of love to you, dear Mother. God 
bless you and keep you well and happy for long, 
long years to come for 

Your devoted son, 

Edmond. 

Escadrille N-124. 

Secteur Postal 182, France. 

March 27tli, 1917. 

My dear little Mother, 

To-day a mail from the States arrived — the first 
in nearly three weeks. It brought me your letters 



312 WAR LETTERS 

of the 6th and 11th, and I suppose you can easily 
guess the consequence of my state of mind after 
reading the one of the 11th and its enclosure. I 
don't know now why I've been hoping and trusting 
for cheerful news of the one girl I've always set 
my heart on and to whom I've tried to be genuinely 
true these past four or five years when it has 
seemed inevitable for months now that there was 
no hope. The simple truth itself is unbearable; 
can you half-way imagine what it means to me 
to hate to realize that she has been receiving my 
letters all these months and has just permitted me 
to keep on and on without telling me directly and 
instantly of her engagement .^^ What particular 
matter does it make after all, though, when one 
comes straight down to it.^ Time is capable of 
healing over all wounds even if the scar remains 
forever — ^just as it is doing with the gash in my 
cheek made last week by that bullet, only that is 
infinitesimal in comparison to the size of this other 
wound. 

Unless the conflict stops suddenly very soon 
there isn't much chance of my ever getting back 
to you all, anyway. Don't grieve, dear little 
Mother, because I write that. God knows best. 
I feel sure that He had some big purpose in guid- 
ing me over here and what more glorious cause 
can a volunteer give his life for these days than 
this great one men are dying for every day over 
here on these battle-fields .^^ 

Jim MacConnell has just gallantly earned a 



EDMOND GENET 313 

lonely grave out behind the present fighting-lines. 
I wrote to you last Tuesday — the day after he and 
I were out together, when we had to return, 
wounded, without him and with no definite news 
of him. Since then the Germans were forced back 
further and finally French troops came across a 
badly smashed Nieuport with the body of a sergeant 
pilot beside the ruins. All identification papers 

were gone and the d d Boches had even taken 

off the flying clothes and even the boots and left 
the body where it had fallen. The number of the 
machine was sent in and so we knew it was Mac's. 
The following morning, after a flight over the lines, 
I spiralled down over the location given and found 
the wreck — almost unrecognizable as an aero- 
plane, crushed into the ground at the edge of a 
shell-torn and wrecked little village. I circled 
over it for a few minutes and then back to camp to 
report. Our captain flew over that way the same 
morning to see about the body. When he returned 
he told us about the clothes and shoes having been 
stolen and said that Mac had been buried beside 
the road next to which he had fallen. There is no 
doubt but that he was killed during the combat in 
the air and the machine crashed down full speed to 
the earth. Since that day I've chased two Boche 
machines, but could get up to neither, but I'll get 
one yet and more than one, or be dropped myself, 
to avenge poor Mac. I've already been told I was 
reckless in the air over the lines, but after this I 
vow I'll be more than reckless, come what may. 



S14 WAR LETTERS 

Mother, my blood boils and thirsts after those 
accursed Huns. They're brutes and fiends and 
daily they grow worse. 

Mac and myself have been proposed by Capt. 
Thenault for army citations which will bring me the 
Croix de Guerre. It seems a mighty slight thing 
to get decorated for, considering that poor Mac has 
died to win his. I'd have had a citation for what 
I did at Champagne if I had done what most of my 
comrades did there after the battle — deliberately 
asked for it — but that isn't my way of winning 
laurels. It has been pretty hard since though to 
meet again and again these fellows who have been 
decorated for service in the American Ambulance 
Field Service for carrying wounded back of the 
lines — fellows who return to America after half a 
year's service over here and they are petted and 
idolized by every one — and know that I went 
through what I did with the Legion for a year and 
a half in the very face of Hell and have had nothing 
to display for it all. I'm not the only American 
who has served in the Legion since the beginning, 
or near it, who is that way either. There are two 
or three others who were even wounded who were 
never decorated. Poor Dowd was one of them, and 
he had his right hand badly lacerated at Cham- 
pagne, which put him in a hospital for six months, 
after which he volunteered to continue his services 
in aviation — where he was killed while training, 
as you know. I've seen so many, many fellows 
decorated for very insignificant wounds and ser- 
vices that it is quite a sore subject with me. 



EDMOXD GENET 315 

We have a little sweetheart for our "\Miiskey- 
Man," the cub lion, mascot of the escadrille. She's 
a 23^^ months old lioness whom we call "Soda." 
*'\Milskey" is now about a year old and just as 
gentle and nice a lion as ever existed. Since his 
little fiancee came he has been ever so much nicer 
and more contented than ever before. "Soda'' 
is rather snappy and not half as nice as her *'Man." 
We still feed her on warmed milk. "' ^Yhiskey " eats 
like a young pig— anything that is offered him. He 
plays around with us all day long. He just loves 
to be rolled on his back and tickled. 

I'm mighty well obliged to you, dear Mother, 
for telling me everything there was to be told about 

which you knew. If I had but heard directly 

from her, though, I'd feel far more satisfied. So 
the world rolls on and we learn new things each day 
—even though often they bring discouragement and 
sorrow to us. There's one beloved sweetheart I 
know will always be mine. That is you. Mother 
dear. Thank God for that— for you. 

Your loving ''third,'' 

Edmoxd. 



EscadrilU N-n4. 

Secteur Postal 164, France. 

AprU loth, 1017. 

My del\r uttle Mother, 

We've had lots of flying to do and I have been able 
to do very little writing. There is an awful stack of 
unanswered letters in my box now. I just can't 
get down to them so they steadily keep collecting. 



316 .WAR LETTERS 

I was in Paris over April 1st and 2nd as the 
memorial service for MacConnell was held on the 
morning of the 2nd at the Amer. Church in Paris. 
There was a very large attendance, including 
Ambassador Sharp and several high French mili- 
tary officials. I sat with Major and Mrs. Parker, 
and stayed at the hotel with them during the two 
days. Paul Rockwell came up from the south, 
where he is on his delayed honeymoon with his 
wife, for service, so I saw him quite a bit during the 
two days. He went south again the next day. 
Only 3 of us could be allowed to go in for the ser- 
vice as there was too much activity on the front 
for the escadrille. On Monday of last week several 
of us went in to get new machines. A lot of new 
fellows have come out lately to join us so we had 
to have additional machines. I didn't get one after 
all, but we were there ^ve days before we could 
come back. 

Cheer up, little Mother, things are coming out 
O. K. for us all. 

My citation for Croix de Guerre has been granted 
but I have not yet received it, so am still waiting 
to be decorated. It will come very soon now. 
My nomination for grade of sous-officier is still on 
its way, so I'm not yet wearing my stripes. It 
should be here any day now, though. 

The day before yesterday I had two combats 
during the afternoon, but neither resulted in any- 
thing important. The Huns are becoming much 
more active along here now and fights occur prac- 



EDMOND GENET 317 

tically daily. Lufbery, our "ace," brought down 
his 8th avion the other day, and our Lieutenant, 
De Laage, brought down his 2nd and 3rd on Sunday 
last. 

What is going to be done with us now that the 
States are in is still a mystery. There have been 
lots of rumors in the papers, etc., but all based on 
no definite facts. We're waiting for news. I don't 
believe that we'll get one quarter the recognition 
which is due us, but what can we expect when up to 
the time the U. S. came in it regarded us as ones 
who had forfeited our right of citizenship for being 
over here, and when our country is run so much by 
politics ? 

If possible, I am going to come back on a furlough 
if I can get authority to go from the French. That 
will be a month or two yet, so you'll know later 
what I'll do about that. I sure would like to have 
a little leave over there, dear Mother. Practically 
all the others who have been here 2 or 3 years (and 
several who haven't) have been to the States on 
leave for 3 or 4 weeks, so I guess I'm entitled to the 
same. It will be all the better to be over there 
now that the States are one of the Allies. I can 
wear a uniform and not be afraid of getting interned 
by my own government for being unneutral. If 
I get cleared up I'll come. 

Take heed of our change of postal secteur. We 
moved about 2 weeks ago. 

Yesterday, under the eye of a motion-picture 
machine, for pictures which will be shown later 



318 WAR LETTERS 

in America and France and elsewhere also, we dis- 
played the glorious Stars and Stripes for the first 
time in history on a European battle-front. Pic- 
tures were also taken of the Captain, Thaw, and 
Lufbery leaving the field in their machines for a 
patrol over the lines. Keep watch for the pictures 
— ^perhaps you will be able to see them yourseK. 

So Rivers is at sea.^ I wish he'd write and tell 
me all about it. I don't suppose he is more than 
simply cruising along the Atlantic coast on guard 
for submarines. Where is Rod? Has he really 
returned from Texas yet.^^ 

I think that the United States coming in with the 
Allies has really been the crowning assurance for 
all of a sure and complete victory. I got to Paris 
just a few days after war was declared, and what a 
change I found there ! American flags were flying 
everywhere among those of the Allies, and every- 
body was feeling far brighter and more cheerful 
than I have ever seen them before. It was fine to 
see Old Glory waving everywhere. Mother. We've 
waited so long for it to fly over here and all Ameri- 
cans have had to be restrained before. Now it's 
entirely changed and all are happy and contented 
and hopeful. One can see that it has made a big 
moral impression on the French soldiers. 
Your devoted, loving "third," 

Edmond. 

Genet was killed the day after writing this letter, 
April 16. 



CONCLUSION 



CONCLUSION 

The following is an account of Genet's death by 
Lufbery, the famous "Ace" of the Lafayette Esca- 
drille: 

Dear Miss Harper: 

As Edmond Genet was one of my best friends I 
will be able to tell you everything I know about 
his death. 

One afternoon, at half-past two, Genet and I 
were ordered to make a patrol on the lines between 
St. Quentin and La Fere. I was leading and 
everything seemed to be all right. At about 3 
o'clock somewhere around Moy the German anti- 
aircrafts started to shell us. I saw very plainly 
three shells bursting right behind Genet's machine, 
about one hundred yards from it. As we get that 
very often I did not pay much attention to it. 
Many times I myself had been shelled much closer 
than that and nothing had happened. Anyway, I 
don't know if he got hit or not, but he suddenly 
turned around and went toward the French lines. 
I followed him for about three or four minutes to 
make sure that he was taking the right direction, 
after that I went back to the lines to finish my 
patrol duty. There is another thing: Genet that 

321 



322 WAR LETTERS 

day was not feeling well. He went out in the 
morning for a moment, and when he landed he told 
us that there was something wrong with him and 
went to bed. We did not want to let him go the 
afternoon sortie, but he insisted, saying he was now 
much better. 

Soldiers who saw him fall say that the machine 
got in a corkscrew dive at about 1,400 yards high, 
finally a wing came off and the whole thing crashed 
on the ground. 

I do not know exactly what happened, but might 
suppose that, being ill, he fainted. He also might 
have got wounded by a piece of shell. 

Genet was a nice little fellow and everybody in 
the Escadrille was very fond of him. He was very 
brave and I am sure he would have become one of 
the best. 

Letter from Sergeant Lovell to Paul Rockwell: 

April 16th. 

My dear Paul: 

It seems that I am destined always to announce 
to you bad news. This time it is dear little Genet 
who is dead. He has been killed this afternoon, 
flying in the company of Lufbery. On account of 
the clouds they flew low. The special German 
batteries were firing at them continuously. Sud- 
denly Lufbery noticed that Genet had made a half- 
turn as if going back. He tried to follow but lost 
sight of him in the clouds. ... He was very 



EDMOND GENET S23 

much surprised upon his return to the camp to see 
that Edmond had not returned. A few minutes 
later we received by telephone the news that Genet 
had fallen five kilometres within our lines. Lieu- 
tenant De Laage, Lufbery, Haviland, and I took 
the light motor of the squadron and rushed to the 
relief station. There we found the dead body of 
Genet. He had been instantly killed. I saw the 
apparatus later and I have never seen so complete 
a wreck, and I have seen numbers. He had fallen 
with the motor in full speed in the middle of the 
road, which proves that the German shell had 
killed him or rendered him unconscious. I had 
flown with him in the morning very early, and in 
the afternoon we were to have flown together, but 
as he seemed tired I advised him not to fly, and I 
went up with Thaw. When I returned I learned 
that Genet had gone up with Lufbery. Haviland, 
whose avion was disabled, had tried to borrow 
Genet's avion to fly in his place, but Edmond re- 
fused, insisting he felt all right and he flew — to his 
death. For myself, I have lost a very dear friend, 
and a courageous comrade of combat: the squadron 
has lost one of the most conscientious pilots that it 
has ever had or ever will have. Edmond fell a 
few hundred metres from the spot where Mac fell 
four weeks ago. He will be buried at Ham to- 
morrow. I am happy in one thing, and that is 
that he learned yesterday evening that his citation 
is now oflficial, and also that the German avion 
with which he had fought when MacConnell was 



324 WAR LETTERS 

killed has been compelled to land on French soil 

and that its crew have been made prisoners. 

Sincerely, 

Walter. 



Paul Rockwell himself, writing of Genet in the 
Guerre ASrienne, tells of hearing first from "a cele- 
brated American surgeon, Doctor David Wheeler, 
of one of the young Legionnaires, a descendant of 
Citizen Genet, and that he was one of the bravest 
and most attractive boys he had ever met. I 
found him truly what Wheeler had described him, 
simple, modest, of fine character and of an indomi- 
table bravery." They became great friends, and 
of Genet's death Rockwell wrote thus beautifully: 

My dear Mrs. Genet: 

I feel a sympathy with you that I cannot find 
words to express. I would have written you ere 
now, but the loss of dear little Edmond coming 
right after that of Jim gave me such a feeling of 
the "blues" that I could not write. 

Anyway we know that Edmond fell for something 
worth while, and that he was so fine an idealist he 
didn't mind dying for the cause. He is over there 
with Kiffin and Jim and the other boys and it will 
not be long until we will be with them too. 

I think that one enters eternity with the same 
force and strength that one quits this world with, 
and that one falling in battle in the full bloom of 
youth and energy has a better place in the next 
world than those who linger here and die of illness 



EDMOND GENET 325 

or age. Anyhow I would change places with any 
one of the boys who have died so gallantly. 



Distinguished tributes came also from high places : 

The White House 
washington 

15 January, 1918. 

My dear Mrs. Genet: 

May I not take the liberty of expressing my 
sympathy for you in the loss of your gallant son 
and at the same time, if I may without seeming 
inconsistent, congratulate you from the bottom of 
my heart on the record he made for himself, which 
must have mixed your deep grief with genuine 
pride ? 

Your two sons are, I know, in the service of 
their country. I admire instances of this sort 
very much indeed and hope that you will accept 
these few lines as an expression of my friendship 
and admiration. 

Cordially and sincerely yours, 

WooDROw Wilson. 
Mrs. Albert Rivers Genet, 

Ossining, New York. 

Ambassade 

DE LA REPUBLIQUE FRAN^AISE AUX ETATS-UNIS 

Washington, June 21, 1917. 
Madame: 

The lack of your address, for which I had to 

write to a friend of mine, is the cause of my offering 



326 WAR LETTERS 

to you at such a late date the expression of my 
heartfelt condolence for your great loss. 

Well worthy of his family and of the two noble 
countries from which he hailed, your son, who had 
been so long spared by the enemy's bullets, has 
fallen for the cause of liberty. His memory will 
ever be cherished among us as well as among his 
American companions. 

Be assured that I sincerely feel with you in these 
sad hours and believe me, Madame, 

Respectfully yours, 

(Signed) Jusserand. 
Mrs. Alfred Rivers Genet, 
Ossining, N. Y. 

Foreign Service Committee, Aero Club of 

America 

42 faubourg poissonniere 

Paris, 26th January, 1918. 
To the family of the late 

Edmond C. Genet, Volunteer Aviator, 
The Aero Club of America, recognizing the heroic 
efforts of the American Volunteer Aviators, coura- 
geous sons of America inspired by the generous and 
lasting friendship of Lafayette for Washington, and 
as heroes have sacrificed their lives for France 
and the cause of liberty, thereby setting a noble ex- 
ample to America, who is now as a nation fighting 
for the same cause, wishes to commemorate the 
memory of Mr. Edmond C. Genet, by sending to his 
family, as a tribute, the highest honor which it is 



EDMOND GENET 327 

theirs to bestow, the Special War Medal of the 
Aero Club of America. 

This medal is being executed and struck in 
France, and as soon as ready will be forwarded to 
you. 

Very cordially and sincerely yours, 

(Signed) Laurence V. Benet, 

Chairman of the Foreign Service Committee, 

Aero Club of America, 

(Signed) Sidney B. Veit, 

Honorary Secretary. 

His commander. Captain Thenault, wrote to the 
boy's mother: 

"Was he really twenty-four years old.? He 
looked so young, like a kind child, and, however, 
he was a so courageous man. ... It must be 
very painful for you to lose your dear son, but if 
that can be a little comfort to you, let me say that 
you were the mother of a great soul." 

Genet was buried in the little military cemetery 
at Ham in the midst of a tempest of snow, the cere- 
mony impressive in its simphcity. "At the mo- 
ment even when the military celebrant (Captain 
Thenault) was reading the office and had just said. 
Amen, the sun pierced the clouds for an instant 
and illuminated the bier *as a benediction from 
heaven,' as one of the pilots said later. Genet had 
requested in his last wishes to be enveloped in the 
French flag, if he should be killed within our lines, 
and that the two flags, the French and the Ameri- 



328 WAR LETTERS 

can, should be placed upon his grave. This was 
done." — Rockwell in ''La Guerre ASrienne." 

The mother of another young hero, Mrs. Hos- 
kier, visiting the grave later, found it distinguished 
by a wooden cross, the two flags, and wreaths of 
beaded flowers placed there by the boys of the 
Escadrille. 

The final and perfect word was France's: 

Citation 

"G. A. N., 13e Groupe de Combat. Le 20 avril 
1917. Genet Edmond, Caporal a I'Escadrille, N. 
124. Citoyen americain engage au service de la 
France, a fait preuves des plus belles qualites 
d'ardeur et de devouement, livrant des combats 
aeriens des son arrivee a TEscadrille, effectuant des 
reconnaissances a basse altitude, et se depensant 
sans compter. Le 10 mars 1917 a ete blesse au cours 
d'un combat contre deux avions ennemis, et a refuse 
d'interrompre son service." 

Captain Thenault's Address 

The pride of commanding brave and courageous 
soldiers often carries with it cruel offsets. 

To-day we are conducting to his tomb one of 
our comrades. Genet — a valiant soldier. 

Born in the State of New York, 1890, he volun- 
tarily left his country in order to join — two years 
ago — for the cause which he believed right — the 
Foreign Legion. 



EDMOND GENET 329 

There he gained that decoration (the fourragere) 
which he was so proud to wear, and last year avia- 
tion tempted him. He at once gave promise, as 
before, of a brilliant career. The only solicitude 
of his chiefs was to teach him moderation. With 
his juvenile ardor he was always ready to fly, 
whether to attack an avion or burn a drachen. 

He was young, and he seemed even younger. 
He was our Benjamin, and we cherished him as in 
a family one prefers the youngest, the weakest. 
But his heart was not weak, as on many occasions 
he caused us to see. 

A month ago, during our advance, flying low 
with his comrade MacConnell, in order to see 
whether the Germans were not traitorously lying 
in wait for our soldiers, they were surprised by an 
enemy escadrille. MacConnell had not the time 
to stand his ground; but Genet straightened, swift 
as a flash of lightning, and engaged in the struggle. 
He put the enemy to flight, disabled one and re- 
turned with his cheek cut by a ball. Rest ? never ! 
He was not dead. To fight for France was his 
dream, and yesterday, disdainful of the storm rag- 
ing, during a patrol, an enemy shell reached him. 
He fell. At a good altitude he still had sufficient 
strength to return within our lines to die. 

He loved his country, most certainly, but in his 
last wishes, which one cannot read without being 
strongly moved, after having sent a touching fare- 
well to his mother — who will weep, over there — 
he said: "If I die, wrap me in the French flag, but 



330 WAR LETTERS 

place the two colors together upon my grave, to 
show that I died for the two countries." 

Then he added, addressing his comrades, "Thank 
you, my friends; may God guide you to great suc- 
cess, and give much honor to this great nation and 
to this glorious cause for which we fight. May 
France live forever." 

My dear friend, farewell. Respectfully I salute 
your memory which we shall cherish, and before 
the grave of the first soldier fallen for the two flags 
— the Stars and Stripes, and the Tricolor, in the 
Great War, we say: "Thanks to America for hav- 
ing given to the light sons such as Thou." Fare- 
well. 



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